Just Watch the Fireworks
by makesmyheadspin
Summary: Side stories for Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' featuring Sookie, Eric, & a cast of Northmans and their girls. Suggestions welcome. AH/AU/OOC
1. A Lonely Queen Without Her King

So this is a side story to Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' that all of you Luke fans will probably enjoy. I must start this by thanking **scribeninja** for being such a great sport about this, and for being so enthusiastic about Luke. Without her, this wouldn't be possible. We might be insane, bb, but it's all in good fun. Hope you enjoy this!

* * *

A Lonely Queen Without Her King

I was a pretty big mess after Dulcie and I went our separate ways. Truthfully, I knew from the beginning it wasn't going to last. She was fun to be around. It sounds mean to call her a distraction, but that's sort of what she was. She kept me from being bored. I liked her, obviously, or I wouldn't have spent so much time with her. It was seeing her with her kids that woke me up. While she didn't act like it most of the time, she was in a very different place in her life.

I'm sure as hell not ready to be someone's father. I've taken as many precautions as possible to make sure that doesn't happen. Really, my magic number isn't that high. It might be higher than the average for a person my age, but I've been safe. I get myself tested regularly. So far, I suppose you could say I've been lucky.

But I digress. Breaking up with Dulcie was the right thing to do. She wasn't exactly my girlfriend, but she would have been upset if I started seeing someone else. I got to a point where I realized that just hanging out and fooling around wasn't good enough. I think maybe seeing Eric and Sookie transition into a real relationship was part of my awakening. I don't know how it took them so long to figure out they were a good fit for each other. I saw it last summer.

Don't get me wrong, I think Sookie's great. She's beautiful, smart, funny and has no problem standing up to me or any of my brothers. That's an admirable trait to have when you're a small woman in a group of boys with personalities that'll steamroll right over you if you don't speak up. She's just not really my type. I flirted with her to light a fire under my brother's ass. Worked like a charm, too.

I ended up calling Mom when things with Dulcie went to shit. It turned out she was going through a rough time herself, and she didn't really want to be in her apartment when Bentley moved out, so I invited her to come up to Michigan. Word got out pretty quickly that Dulcie and I split up. I was surprised that neither of my brothers gloated. I was much less surprised when Mini tried to set me up with a friend of hers.

At first, I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. The girl's name was Emma Lewis. According to Mini, Emma was the shy, innocent type. She didn't drink or go to wild parties. Mini had met Emma through her blog. Emma was new to Chicago, and had consulted Mini's blog on some of the less obvious places to check out in the city. They'd struck up a friendship through their emails, and met for lunch a few times. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're best friends, but I trust Mini's opinion. If she says Emma is good people, then I see no reason to think she's full of shit.

Being the unstoppable force she is, Mini enlisted Sookie's help in convincing me to give Emma a chance. Not that I really needed all that much convincing. Mini had emailed me a link to Emma's Facebook page, and after reading a little bit about her based on her profile, I was pretty sure we would at least be able to carry on a conversation. It seemed we liked a few of the same movies, and had a similar taste in music. I could work with that.

So, I told Mini to set it up. We started out with a simple on-line conversation. Emma admitted to being almost painfully shy. Like Eric, I'm pretty lacking in the modesty department. I have a tendency to say what's on my mind. I prefer honesty to sugar coated fluff. I don't want someone to think they have to fancy up their words to spare my feelings in any capacity.

What really tipped the scales for me was when Emma admitted to having a thing for guys who wear glasses. I'm near sighted, but I gave up my glasses in high school when I got tired of being teased about them. Besides, you can't really wearing glasses under a football helmet, can you? So, for convenience's sake, I gave up my glasses and started wearing contacts. I still wear them from time to time when I'm not leaving the house and don't feel like putting my contacts in, but it's rare.

Still, hearing a girl like Emma say she liked glasses... well, it was unexpected. Not only that, she openly admitted to being a blusher and a swooner while we were talking. Most girls I talked to on-line were all too ready to fire up the webcam and give me a show. Not Emma. She was different. She was sweet. By the end of the conversation I started to wonder if maybe she was the girl I'd been looking for. I suddenly wished I was back at school so I could talk about her on my radio show.

For the time being, my podcast was going to have to be enough. We made plans to go out before the end of the conversation. I decided I would go down to Chicago, rather than asking her to come up, or meet half way. I didn't know enough about Indiana to tell her where to meet me. Besides, since she was still fairly new to the city, I was sure there were a few things she had yet to experience. I started planning things out, taking into advisement from Mini that Emma was a big romantic.

I could do that. At least, I thought I could. I'd never really tried before. It surprised me how much I wanted to try with Emma. I wanted to impress her. I hadn't even heard her voice, and already I felt a connection to her. Crazy, right? The morning after we talked I got an email from her letting me know she was free on Friday. She included her phone number. I sat there like a jack ass for at least an hour, debating over whether or not it was too soon to call her.

I couldn't recall being so nervous about a girl since I lost my virginity when I was sixteen. Finally, I located my balls and called her. She picked up on the third ring with a shaky voice. God, I hoped she wasn't sitting there waiting for me to call her.

"Hello?" Her voice was gentle with just a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place. It wasn't southern, exactly, but it wasn't Chicago, either.

"Is this Emma?"

"It is. Is this Luke."

"It is. Sorry I didn't call sooner."

"No, it's fine. I was just doing some research on the city, trying to see if I could figure out what we're doing on Friday." She admitted.

"You hate surprises, don't you?"

"No, it's not that. I just like to be prepared." She said sheepishly.

"Don't worry, Emma, I promise we won't do anything you don't want to do." I realized after I said it how that could be taken out of context.

"You've just got me curious with your talk about horses and heights."

"Well, you can stop fishing for clues. I'm not saying anything. You'll just have to wait and see. So, about Friday, I was thinking we could meet somewhere." I suggested.

"Oh, good." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you think I was going to cancel on you?"

"No, no, not at all. I just...well, not that I don't trust Mini, but since I've never met you, I wasn't too excited about telling you where I live." She was a smart girl.

"What part of the city are you in?" I asked her.

"Uh, I'm on the north side, a few blocks outside of Wrigleyville."

"Excellent. How about we meet at The Cubby Bear?" I suggested.

"Sure. What time?"

"How about seven?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Good. I'll see you Friday, then."

"Definitely. I'll be there." She promised.

"Good. I'll text you when I get there."

"Okay. See you Friday, Luke."

"See you Friday, Emma." And with that, she was gone.

I couldn't wait for Friday.

* * *

I lived in what was probably supposed to be a two bedroom apartment on the north side in the Ravenswood area, just outside of Lincolnwood. My apartment was on the fourth floor. It was a walk-up. It was a decent place. The kitchen was a little on the narrow side, but I didn't really spend a whole lot of time in there. I wasn't much of a cook.

Come to think of it, the first long-term relationship I ever had was with the guy who delivered pizza to my apartment. Some how, I don't think that counts. It took forever to find a parking space, but I found one three blocks away from my apartment. Once the summer was over I'd put my car back in storage. I preferred public transportation. It eliminated any worry that my car was going to get broken into and stolen when my car was safely stashed in a garage out in the suburbs.

I walked into my apartment and flipped on the hall light. There was a small entryway when you first walked in. Then by bathroom was right there on the left. My bedroom was on the right. The hallway that essentially split the apartment in half led into what I used as a dining room/office. I had a small table set up that doubled as a work space when I needed it to. There was a desk over by the bank of windows that looked out into the courtyard. A large bookshelf pretty much lined the back brick wall of the apartment. The kitchen, as narrow and unused as it was, had new appliances in it. A pair of pocket doors in the 'dining room' opened into what I used as a living room.

I had a pull-out couch in there, along with a flat screen TV, coffee table and a stereo that probably meant more to me than anything else in the apartment. I hadn't been back since before Memorial Day, which was about six weeks ago. The place was in pretty good condition. It needed to be dusted and vacuumed, but other than that, I couldn't complain. Jake was definitely the neat freak, but I knew how to pick up after myself. Mom had trained us boys well.

I went over to the stereo and decided to give the radio a chance to impress me. Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds hypocritical to work in radio and still say radio sucks, but that's because it does in a lot of ways. I see it from both sides now that I'm a part of it. Each station has their target demographic they're trying to reach, depending on what genre of music they're playing. Growing up, I loved Q101. It was a crucial part of my teenage years.

Eric actually got me listening to a lot of stuff when we were younger. Used to drive Mom nuts that I walked around the house at the age of eleven, quoting Trent Reznor and Mancow, who was quickly banned from our house. Looking back on it now, I understand why. The guy is a bit of a menace. Not to mention, I'm still wondering how much of his show was real, and how much was just for shock value. Getting involved with the production side of things, any hero worship I may have had for the guy has waned.

Growing up, I wanted to work at that station. That was my goal. But with music evolving to what it's become, I've gotten a bit weary of the current 'scene.' I don't like it. I've turned to more independent stuff. There are so many great musicians out there who will never really get their chance for one reason or another. I know, since I've met quite a lot of them. I frequent the local venues, and I've featured more than a few bands on my show.

I smiled when the commercial ended and Bush started to play. Great band. I got the cleaning out of the way quickly. I threw in a load of laundry, and started up my computer. I answered a few emails, dicked around on Facebook for a little while, and then had to switch the laundry into the dryer. An hour later my laundry was done. My clothes were folded and put away where they belonged. Mom would have been proud.

I turned off the stereo, flopped on the couch and channel surfed until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I staggered to bed somewhere around three in the morning and passed out. When I came to on Friday morning, it was almost noon. It was hot and sticky in my apartment. I groaned, forced myself out of bed and made the rounds to close the windows to turn on the various air conditioning units, since I didn't have central air.

I had a very clear plan of attack for later, but it was all dependent on the weather cooperating. The skies were dark and threatening rain. Wonderful. The hard part was keeping myself occupied for most of the day. I had several hours to kill before going to meet Emma. I watched the Cubs game, and was thankful when it was an away game. The Cubby Bear would be a bitch otherwise. If it weren't so damn expensive, I'd be living in Wrigleyville. I loved the neighborhood. There was such great energy over there. But for what it cost to rent a tiny studio apartment, I could probably be paying a mortgage for a house in the suburbs.

Finally, it was time to start getting myself ready to go. I was a little high from the Cubs' win. I was humming their victory song as I got in the shower. I felt like a girl when I couldn't decide what to wear. I was rather well-known for my crazy sense of style. It definitely set me apart from most people. But this was a date, so I figured it was better to tone it down. According to the lunchtime forecasts, the skies were supposed to clear and the temperatures were going to stay in the lower eighties overnight.

I ended up in a pair of khaki shorts instead of the usual Bermudas I preferred. I threw on a wifebeater and put on one of my dozens of Hawaiian shirts over it. I got into those shirts because of my Dad. He'd had a bunch of them, and when he died, those were what I wanted most. They reminded me of the trips we went on as kids, when he stopped being an important business man and he was just my Dad.

I left my apartment just after six, and headed across town to the Cubby Bear. I stopped in a flower shop and bought a lily. Roses seemed to serious, and the lady behind the counter said it would be easy enough for the recipient to cut most of the stem and tuck the flower in her hair. Sounded perfect to me. So, I headed on toward the bar. When I got there, I sent Emma a text like I told her I would.

I was surprised to learn she was already there. She was standing on the Addison side of the building. I turned the corner from Clark Street, and there she was. All of a sudden, I was nervous as hell. She was smiling shyly, the blush she'd told me about was already painting her cheeks. She was beautiful in the fading daylight. Her hair and eyes were dark, almost the same shade of brown. She wasn't wearing much makeup, which was a nice change of pace.

She was curvy in a good way, and I'd be lying if I said I had a hard time not staring at her chest. I blamed it on an extra button being left unbuttoned on the pressed sleeveless button down shirt she was wearing. It was tucked into a pair of snug, pinstriped capri pants. She was wearing a pair of red shoes that made my heart start hammering in my chest.

"Luke?" She spoke first, her nervousness in her voice.

"Sorry, yes. You look beautiful." I handed her the flower. The red on her cheeks got a little deeper, erasing any thoughts of it maybe just being a little sunburn.

"Thank you." She looked down, almost embarrassed. Did she not know she was a beautiful girl? If she didn't, I needed to change that immediately. "You look nice, too."

I shrugged and said, "It bodes well for me if you're impressed by Hawaiian shirts and concert tees."

She laughed a small, tinkling laugh that I refused to believe was her real laugh. "It reminds me of The Dude."

"The Dude?" I arched an eyebrow at her.

"You don't know who The Dude is?" To say she looked shocked would be an understatement. You'd think I'd just said I'd never heard of the Bible or Mickey Mouse.

"Not a clue." I admitted.

"I should have known. Your favorite movie is Van Wilder." She teased.

"Ryan Reynolds is a funny motherfucker." I said, then instantly wanted to kick myself for cussing within the first two minutes of our date.

"So, do you come here a lot?" Emma changed the subject.

"The Cubby Bear?" She nodded and I said, "Usually only on game days, but I've been up in Michigan since the last week of May."

"That's what Laura told me. I've never been that far north." She admitted with a sheepish smile.

"No? Oh, it's beautiful. I mean, the Lake is great here, but it's like an entirely different body of water up there. It's less polluted up there. I have pictures on my laptop somewhere, and I swear, if you didn't know any better, you'd think you were looking at a tropical beach."

"That's amazing." She said with a hint of disbelief.

"It is." I agreed with her. "So, do you want to go in and get a drink, or do you want to get going?"

She looked flustered for a moment before saying, "Let's go. I'm not really one for crowds."

She and I really didn't have much in common, as far as I could tell. We were about as opposite as two people could get, and yet, I didn't want to run screaming in the other direction. In fact, I wanted to reach out and take her hand. I told myself it was just because the streets were crowded and I didn't want to lose her. But it seemed too soon for that, and since she was the shy sort, I didn't want to scare her off. So, I settled for putting my hand on the small of her back.

Her head whipped around, and for a second I thought I fucked up. Then she smiled, and I settled down. What was she doing to me? This was new. Very, very new, and it was freaking me the fuck out. We made small talk as we walked along. She tried to get me to tell her where we were going, but all the hint I would give her was that we had to hop the blue line down to the Jackson stop.

"You're mean." She stuck her little pink tongue out at me, and that did absolutely nothing to get me to chill out.

"Not mean, just... devious." I corrected.

"Mean." She insisted, but smiled at me all the same.

It took a while to get to the blue line. Once we got on the train, we realized we were surrounded by a bunch of people around our age, all ready to bar hop on Division. I'd done it once or twice, but it really wasn't worth the money. I'd just as soon call a few friends and have them come hang out at my place. The cover charge alone could kill you after hitting two or three places. I didn't mind a crowd, but after a while it got a little ridiculous.

We talked more while we rode the train. I learned that Emma was the youngest of three kids. She had two older sisters so she could relate to the sorts of things I went through with my brothers. She had a cat named Costello. He was mostly black, except for a little patch of white right between his eyes. She even had pictures on her cell phone to show me. On anyone else, I would have jumped off the train at the next stop, but she was so cute about it, I just smiled along with her.

She'd grown up in a small town a little farther west, and hated it. "Nothing exciting ever happened there. By the time I was graduating high school people were asking when I was going to get married, instead of where I was going to go to college. To them it's selfish, but I want something for myself before I get married and have kids. There's so much more to the world than cook outs, the PTA and bowling leagues."

"That's very true." I agreed with her, impressed by the amount of passion in her voice. "So what do you want to do?"

She sighed and smiled bashfully. "I want to be published."

"Published? Like a journalist, a novelist, a poet..." I trailed off.

"A novelist." She kept her eyes down.

"You seem embarrassed by it."

"I've just... well, I've never really shared my work with anyone that I know face to face. I'm not sure if I'm really any good at it."

"You'll never know if you don't try."

She was quiet for a minute before she asked, "Were you scared the first time you were on the air?"

I thought back to it. The first radio show I'd ever been on was with a friend of mine who had a show of his own through Triton over in River Grove. It was a small show, and all I really did was make commentary, but it was enough of a taste for me to know it was what I wanted to do. I told Emma as much.

"I wish I had that kind of conviction about what I want to do."

"When the right thing finds you, you'll know." I smiled at her.

She was blushing again, and had to look away from me. I knew she was shy, but it was almost painful to watch her. I wanted to find something to talk about that made her more comfortable, but I didn't have the slightest idea of what that was. A slightly awkward silence settled over us until she asked about me.

"Did you grow up in the city?" She asked.

"Just outside of it. Mom grew up in Bellwood and Dad grew up in Norridge. I went to high school in Franklin Park." I told her, and she looked at me like I was speaking Greek. "Suburbs."

"Oh." She smiled faintly. "But you go to school downtown, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"And you live in the city now?"

"Yep. I live in Ravenswood, off of Ashland and Wilson."

Her face lit up and she bit her bottom lip before saying, "I'm about six blocks from you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm near Paulina and Irving." The smile on her face was contagious. "Laura told me we lived close, but I didn't think it was that close."

"She told me you met through her blog when you first moved here."

"Yeah, I Googled 'Chicago blogs,' and hers was the third link I clicked on. It was the first that made any sort of sense to me. Everyone else talked like an insider. It was like a different language, but Laura made it easy to understand. She was also somewhat accessible, unlike most of the other bloggers. She has a great sense of humor."

"That she does." I agreed. "She got me pretty good earlier this summer."

"What'd she do?"

"Well, it started with too much beer..." I told her the story about the little makeover Mini had graced me with, and by the end of it, I was hearing her real laugh. It was beautiful, much more fitting for her personality than the shiny, tinkle laugh I'd heard when I first approached her.

When we got off the train, I reached for her hand. She hesitated for only a moment before offering hers in return. We walked together until we were standing on Franklin Street, staring up at the Willis Tower. I still hated the name change, as did most Chicagoans. God help anyone who tries to change the name of Wrigley Field. Losing Marshall Field's to Macy's was bad enough. It was a damn near tragedy, in my opinion.

"What are we doing here?" Emma asked nervously.

"We're going up." I pointed.

"What? No!" She looked panicked.

"It's the best way to see the city. You can see clear to O'Hare from up there." I leaned into her.

She whimpered, and I wondered if it was because we were so close, or if it was because she was scared. Her hand was shaking in mine. She wobbled in her shoes, and for a moment, I thought she might topple over.

"I told you I would hold your hand." I squeezed.

She gave me a look of uncertainty and said, "I don't know about this."

"I do." I whispered in her ear, and felt her shudder. "Come on. You'll be safe, I promise."

She laughed nervously, but didn't fight when I tugged her along. We stood in line to buy tickets. Before we got on the elevator, I handed her a piece of gum.

"What's this for?" She looked at me questioningly.

"Trust me, you're going to want that. The elevators move fast, and with the changing air pressure, your ears are going to pop. The gum helps keep it to a minimum."

"Oh." She unwrapped the gum and put it in her mouth.

I tried not to stare at her as she chewed, knowing she felt self-conscious already. She had a death grip on my hand, and we weren't even in the elevator yet. When it was our turn, we were pack in like sardines. We somehow ended up shoved to the back, with her pressed against me in a rather precarious way. I didn't mind it though. She fit well next to me. No sooner did the doors close than we were shooting up. She squeaked and wrapped her arms around me.

I chuckled against her hair, but she just squeezed her eyes closed and pressed her forehead against my chest. I rubbed her back in what I hoped was a soothing way, but I'm not sure how much good it did. She made little noises as we went up. Before either of us knew it, the elevator doors were opening and people were filing out onto the observation deck.

"Emma, we're here." I whispered.

Her eyes opened slowly. "Already?"

"Yep. I told you the elevators move fast." I smiled.

The operator gave us a bored look, and I nudged Emma gently to get her moving. Slowly, we stepped out of the elevator. Her eyes were fixed on her feet. Her arms were still wrapped around me. A little voice in the back of my head wondered why the hell I was so okay with her clinging to me like she was. I shook it off, and gently detached her from me, only to lace my fingers with hers. She took a series of deep breaths, and let me lead her around.

When she finally got the courage to look out one of the windows, her eyes opened wide. "Oh, wow."

The sun was setting. For once, I had perfect timing. The panic that had been in her eyes only moments before began to fade as she looked out at the city. On a clear day you could see up to fifty miles away, and four other states. Hell, I bet if I brought a good set of binoculars, I could probably see Eric's house from up there. We walked around, looking out the window and reading the information out for everyone to read. There were lots of interesting facts about the city and the tower itself.

When we got to the Skydeck, she froze up again. "You're not going to make me go out there, are you?"

"Not if you don't want to."

She bit her lip again, clearly thinking it over. "You'll hold my hand?"

"The whole time." I promised her.

She took a deep breath and said, "Let's do it."

I grinned at her and said, "You're fearless."

She laughed and said, "Not even close."

We waited for our turn to step out onto the ledge that hung over a thousand feet in the air. I stepped up first at her insistence, and held out my hand to her. She took a few more deep breaths and mumbled something under her breath before surrendering her hand to me. Her palm was sweating. I knew this was a big deal for her, and it meant a lot that she was trusting me enough to not tease her or abandon her. She stepped up and immediately latched onto me.

"Don't look down, don't look down..." She mumbled over and over.

I tried not to laugh because I didn't want her to think I was laughing at her. The situation was adorable, really. I was so tempted to tell her the glass cracked under her heel, but I didn't want her to have a panic attack and end up unconscious. So instead, I attempted to make a joke.

"I suppose it's a good thing you're not wearing a dress, huh?" I teased.

She giggled beside me, her head still smashed against me. "You're terrible."

"You keep assuming the worst of me. Why is that?" I let my arm slide around her, and she relaxed.

She looked up with a pained expression on her face. "Bad experience in the past with someone who said I could count on him. Turns out I couldn't."

Ah, ex-boyfriend drama. I couldn't really comment since I had some baggage of my own. I just nodded and said, "Well, I'm not that guy. If I say I'm going to be there, I'm there."

"Good to know." She whispered.

"Now will you please turn around and look? The sun is just about gone." I started to turn slowly with her still attached to me.

We looked to the west and she gasped again. "It's so beautiful."

The sky was so many different colors, and soon it would be inky black. I didn't realize I was playing with the ends of her hair until we were told our time was up. Shock of all shocks, I actually had to pull her down. We walked around for a while, taking in the various views. Navy Pier was all lit up, and I asked if she'd ever been there.

"Only during the day." She admitted, then smiled at the faces changing way down in Millennium Park.

"Is it just me, or does the Bean not make a whole lot of sense to you either?" I asked her.

The Bean was a series of highly polished stainless steel plates in the shape of a bean. The actual name of it was "Cloud Gate," which is some of the gayest shit I've ever heard, but I suppose it's fitting. Yeah, okay, so you can see pretty much the entire skyline if you look into it at the right angle, but come on...was that really the best they could do? I just failed to see what the big deal was. The fountain, on the other hand, was pretty damn cool.

In the summertime kids ran through the water like nobody's busy. It was like having fire hydrants open at all times. Watching the faces change was kind of fun for a bit. The Art Museum was right next to the park. Personally, that wasn't my favorite place to go. I'd been forced there on one too many field trips as a kid, and I had just never been the artsy type. I did, however, enjoy sitting in the field at Grant Park where the band shell was. One year I wanted to get to Blues fest. I always seemed to miss it for one reason or another.

Eventually, we got tired of walking around the building and decided to head down. I hadn't had a decent piece of pizza in more than a month. At first, I was fine with this since I'm not only a college student, but I work in radio. Pizza is a dietary staple, and one I was more than willing to take a break from. We walked across the street from the tower, and got a table at Giordano's after a five minute wait.

"Have you ever eaten here before?" I asked her.

"No." She shook her head.

"You like pizza, right?" I smiled at her. The shyness had returned.

"Who doesn't?"

"Have you had Chicago style pizza?"

"Not yet."

I scoffed and said, "Then it's a damn good thing you met me. You have no idea what you're missing. Trust me, you'll never go back after this."

She watched with wide eyes as a waitress pulled slices for the people at the table to the left of ours. "Holy moly, how much cheese is on one of these things?"

"Enough." I laughed. "So, Emma, tell me about this Dude."

Her face lit up again and she started talking about _The Big Lebowski_. I'd heard of the movie, but I'd never seen it. To be honest, the plot of the movie sounded pretty boring. I didn't see what the big deal of it was. I didn't tell Emma that, although my face must have betrayed me.

"Hey, if I can give Van Wilder a chance, I think you can do the same thing for The Dude." She said with conviction.

"You're still willing to let me try and convince you Van's not so bad after I dragged you up to the Skydeck?" I quirked an eyebrow at her.

She blushed a bit, retreating just a little into her shell as our pizza was brought out. The waitress manhandled slices onto our plates, and for a moment, she just sat there staring. Deep dish pizza isn't meant to be picked up like a thin crust. At the very least you need a fork to eat it, and usually, it doesn't hurt to have a butter knife close by. The cheese will just stretch on and on forever if you let it.

"Something wrong?" I asked her.

Emma tilted her head to the side, inspecting her slice of pizza. "I think there's a pound of cheese on this slice alone."

"Just eat what you can. You won't be sorry." I promised her.

She picked up her fork and started to cut into her pizza. Her knife became necessary when the cheese kept melting back together. She laughed as she worked to get a manageable bite separated from the rest of the slice. The fact that she was able to make it through an entire piece was pretty major. Most girls I'd gone out with would quit about half way through, claiming it was just too much. Amateurs.

"Want some more?" I asked her.

"No!" She said quickly, letting her hands hover over her plate. "It was delicious, but if I eat anymore, you're going to have to push me home in a wheel barrow." She watched with wide eyes as I took another piece and made quick work of it. She just shook her head at me. "I don't know where you put all that."

"It hasn't been medically proven," I wiped my mouth with a napkin since I did have _some_ manners. "But it's entirely possible I was born with more than one stomach."

She giggled and said, "You'd have to be in order to eat all of that."

"Tastes like home." I smiled at her and she smiled back. "Don't you have something that reminds you of home that way?"

She thought for a moment and said, "Banana bread."

It wasn't what I expected, but then nothing about Emma was really that predictable. We sat for a while longer before we decided we'd sat long enough. The waitress boxed up the rest of our pizza since there was more than half of it left, and brought us the check. I grabbed it right away, with Emma offering to pay half.

"Next time." I smiled at her.

She got all adorably flustered and simply nodded her head. Next time. Had I just proposed a second date and she agreed to it? I think she did. I was inexplicably happy about this. I heard the voices of various friends, and my brothers, telling me that when you meet the right girl all the usual shit you pull goes right out the window. Emma made me want to try harder. I didn't know why. It just was.

Before I knew it we were back on the train headed north toward home. I didn't really want the night to be over yet, but it was getting late. I didn't realize how late until I chanced a glance at my watch. It was after midnight. Shit. Had that much time really passed already? It felt like it had only been a few hours.

We took the red line back, and got off at the Belmont stop, before transferring to the brown line. Since it was late, there was no way I was going to let her walk home alone. Besides, I got the feeling her shoes were starting to bother her, since she winced when she stood up. I was tempted to offer her a piggyback ride, but I was pretty sure she wasn't comfortable enough with me yet. Another time.

We got off the train for good at the Irving Park stop, and from there, it was just a few blocks east to her apartment. She was holding the pizza box like it was the most precious thing in the world to her, which I knew it wasn't. I appreciated it all the same, though. Her hand was swallowed in mine, and I felt something in me lurch when she came to a stop in front of a chain-link fence that enclosed the duplex she lived in.

"This is me." She nodded to the house with the chipped white paint. "I'm on the first floor."

The lawn was nicely manicured beyond the fence and flower boxes were hanging from the front porch. The front of the house was facing west. There was a porch swing I could imagine her sitting on at sunset, reading or painting her nails or whatever the fuck girls do when they're alone.

"It's nice." I smiled at her and she shrugged.

"It's decent. It's home."

"Could be worse. I'm in a fourth floor walk up."

"Ouch." She giggled quietly.

"You get used to it. Laundry day sucks, though."

"I can imagine. Our machine is in the basement with all of the storage stuff, but it's just me and the owner upstairs. It's quiet, for the most part. I can't complain too much."

"Do you drive?" I asked her out of nowhere.

"I do, but I don't have a car here. I miss it."

"We should go for a ride some time before I put my car into storage for the winter."

"You put your car in storage?"

"It's a '73 Charger. You don't let it sit in the snow all winter." I said in all seriousness, which had her cracking another smile. I was pretty sure she was going to pet me for a second there. "What?"

"Are you a car guy?"

"No. I just happen to love mine."

"Boys and their toys." She teased.

"It was my Dad's." I explained, and her smile faded.

"Oh, Luke, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. You didn't know." I was wondering if Laura had told her our father passed. That question was answered a moment later.

"Laura told me about... well, I'm sorry you lost him. From all I've heard from Jake, he was an incredible person."

"He was." I agreed.

"That had to be hard, losing him at such a young age."

I nodded, not really wanting to talk about it. It was one thing to talk about him with my brothers, but it was another to get into at the end of a date, and a first date, at that. Yet, in spite of that, I started talking about him in ways I hadn't in a long time. She stood there and listened patiently, nodding and smiling at all the right things.

"Sounds like the two of you are very similar people." She said once I was done yammering on and on and on.

"You think so?"

"From what you told me, he saw what he wanted and went after it until he got it. You share his tenacity, and you don't let others get in the way of your goals. That's fortitude. I wish I had more of that." I admitted with a sheepish smile.

"You know, Emma, you shouldn't be so afraid of going after the things you want. I know failure and rejection are scary, but by shutting out the bad, you shut out the good, too." I told her.

"Yeah." She agreed, and looked down at her feet again.

She was back in her shell. I sighed, not sure of what my next move should be. I didn't think kissing her was the right thing to do, even though I wanted to. My usual Tasmanian Devil approach wasn't going to work with her, and I wanted to see her again. So instead, I brought up the prospect of going on another date.

"I would love to. In fact, there's a great little diner in Wrigleyville that I'm in love with. I would love to take you there." She said, showing more spine in ten seconds than she had all night. Well, her venture out onto the Skydeck notwithstanding.

"Sure. Besides, I'm a little curious about The Dude. I might just let you sway me your way on him."

Her smile brightened a little and in yet another move that surprised me, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "I had fun tonight, Luke. Thank you."

"You're welcome." I wanted to kiss her back, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do or not. She offered me the pizza box and I said, "No, you keep it."

"Oh, please, this would be like, breakfast for you." She teased, and it felt good to hear her do it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course. I couldn't eat all of this in a week. Besides, now that I know it exists, I can have it anytime I want. You're Michigan bound again."

I was. Dammit. Man, going back to Michigan was going to suck if things started happening between us. Why wasn't summer almost over already? I didn't stop to consider how weird it was that I was actually anxious to get back to school. A million thoughts swirled through my head all at once, and I knew I had to get away from her before I said something completely crazy that would scare the hell out of her.

"I had fun tonight, too." I smiled at her again, and watched her blush spread up from her neck while her hands fidgeted nervously.

Before I knew what I was doing, I tilted her face up toward mine, leaned down and kissed her softly on the mouth. She whimpered quietly, but her hands stayed right where they were. I didn't try to push for more. Her lips tasted like cherries, I realized when I pulled away.

"Goodnight, Emma."

"Goodnight, Luke." Her voice wavered.

I turned and headed down the street toward my apartment. I looked over my shoulder just once to see if she was still there. She was, and her fingers were on her lips, almost like she was checking to see if they were still there. I faced forward again, and soon found myself doing the same thing.

I hadn't even gotten to the end of the block when I decided that it was, without a doubt, the best first date I'd ever been on. I couldn't wait to see her again.

* * *

Right. So, there you have it. I'm going to write their second date as well. If anyone has any other side stories they'd like to see, feel free to PM or put it in your reviews. Mama bird is a multi-tasker like no other. Thanks for reading, bb birds *smooches*


	2. When Eric Met Sookie

So this was originally the first chapter of another story that never went anywhere. With a few tweaks and edits, we have the story of how Eric and Sookie met. Enjoy it, bb birds!

* * *

**When Eric Met Sookie  
**

The house looked almost exactly like I remembered. I hadn't been there since I was a teenager. Much like back home, the driveway was gravel and I was out in the middle of the woods. The only difference was, I was now within walking distance of Lake Michigan, which was a far cry from the muddy bayous of Bon Temps. It had come as a real surprise to me when I'd gotten a phone call from a lawyer by the name of Mr. Cataliades who wished to inform me that my Great Uncle Bartlett had passed away and left me his entire estate.

It wasn't much, but it included some cash, a few stocks and the deed to his house. I'd gone up there but once when I was a kid. Gran had loaded Jason and me into the car and we'd spent a few weeks there. The house was painted bright white and there was a large deck off the front of the house. It was typical for most of the houses nearby. Most of the houses were rented out in the summertime. I knew that the neighbors to the right of what was now my house, assuming they hadn't moved out, lived there year round.

I didn't know if I was going to keep the house in the long run, but I was planning to keep it for the time being. I needed some time away from Louisiana. I know it's going to sound like I was running away from my problems, but I think that was exactly what I needed to do. I was having trouble getting along with my brother, as a result of my small windfall. My boss was in love with me. My boyfriend...well, I didn't even know if he was my boyfriend anymore. Our relationship was rocky, to say the least, and when I'd told him I was going up to Michigan to see about the house I had inherited, I didn't ask him to come with. He didn't ask me if he could come with, and he made it pretty clear he was in no big hurry for me to come back.

Things just weren't going my way.

I needed some space to myself, and I decided that maybe if I spent some time on the beach alone under the warm summer sun, I might just finish the book I'd started writing years ago. It had started off as a hobby. As a kid, I wasn't very popular. I always felt like I was born at the wrong time. I was a little too old fashioned for most of the people my age. My Gran- who had raised my brother and me after our parents died- had done so by teaching us morals, manners and values. I wasn't willing to lower my standards for the sake of a few fake friends.

So instead, I created my own friends in the characters that came into my head. I had one hell of an imagination. I poured my angst and confusion into my writing on the hope that someday, I might be able to reach a girl like me so she would know she wasn't alone in the world.

I reached into my car and grabbed the manila envelope that was sitting on the passenger's seat. I overturned it and a set of keys fell onto my hand. After some trial and error, I discovered which key opened the sliding glass door on the deck. I remembered there was a second door closer to the back end of the driveway that opened into the master bedroom, but I wanted to start at the front of the house.

I walked inside to find that not much had changed since the last time I was there, and that was almost ten years before. The floors looked to be brand new. The walls were painted the same bright white as the exterior of the house. The curtains were blue and sand striped. There were little sailboat statuettes all over the place and ships in bottles. The house had a very nautical theme to it, but I liked it. It was different from home, and so far, it was absolutely perfect. It was just what I needed. Uncle Bartlett had been a carpenter in his day, and he'd built the majority of the furniture in the house. About the only things he hadn't made himself were the couch and the big arm chair in the corner.

Pictures of Gran and Pops were on display all over the house. I walked around the house and opened up all the windows to let the air start moving around again. The humidity didn't bother me one bit. Growing up in Louisiana, you learn real quick how to deal with the moisture in the air, but it was different in Michigan than it was down south. The temperatures down there were hotter, but the humidity here did most of the heating. It was like being in a steam bath.

I wanted to walk down to the lake and take a look around, but I figured getting groceries would probably be a wise choice. I couldn't remember the geography well enough to get around in the dark, so street signs would be crucial. I looked around to see what was still in the cabinets, and found that just about everything had been cleared out except for canned goods. I turned on the old transistor radio that was on top of the refrigerator. It was tuned into AM radio, and old jazz began to play.

I stopped for a minute and just swayed back and forth, thinking of Uncle Bartlett and the way he would randomly grab Gran's hand while she was clearing the table and swing her around the kitchen. I'd thought it was strange, at first, but I got used to it. It was nice to have something like that with someone, I decided. By the time I got back to Bon Temps at the end of summer, I found that I someday wanted someone to dance with in my kitchen. Lord knows it would never be Jason and me doing such things. We just weren't ever that close.

I sat down at the table to make a list of the things I needed to get. I walked into the master bedroom and out the back door that lead out onto the deck in the back where the grill was. It was a charcoal grill so I assumed I'd need to buy charcoal for it. From the looks of it, I would need new grilling utensils as well. I also needed to get some citronella candles to keep the bugs away. Those tiki torches were always pretty effective, from what I could remember.

I left the house armed with my list and an address programmed into my GPS so I wouldn't get lost. I was good with directions, so I was sure it wouldn't be long before I had the geography down as if I had lived in the small town all my life. I took the scenic route through town to familiarize myself with landmarks before finally arriving at the market. Everyone seemed to know one another, and for a moment, it was sort of like being back home. I made my way through the grocery store with my flip-flops smacking my feet as I walked. My light cotton dress brushed against my calves and I could feel a chill settling on my skin from the air conditioning.

I was walking toward the checkout lines when some giant with a cell phone in his hand nearly knocked me into a display of chips with his broad shoulder. He was snapping at someone and he didn't stop to apologize for bumping into me.

"I'm fine, thanks!" I called out after him and then cursed him under my breath.

I walked up to one of the checkers and began to unload my cart. The girl behind the register was obviously a teenager. She was staring after the man who had bumped into me so rudely. He was already on his way out the door, no packages in hand. I was starting to wonder if maybe she had a crush on the jerk when she spoke to me.

"Don't take it personally. Eric's always like that," the girl informed me.

"He must make his mother proud," I snickered.

"His mother's dead," the girl said in a deadpan tone, and I immediately blushed.

"Oh." I looked away with embarrassment.

"To him, at least." The girl corrected before continuing. "Tourist or new resident?" The girl had me pegged immediately.

"Well, I'm not really sure yet. My great Uncle died and-"

"Oh, so you're the one taking over old man Hale's place?" She smiled at me like she knew something I didn't, and she probably did.

"Yeah, that would be me." I smiled faintly at her.

"I'm Pam," she introduced herself.

"Sookie." I wanted to shake her hand, but she was busy sliding things across the scanner and I was busy hauling a case of bottled water out from under the cart. "So, Pam, could I pick your brain about something since I'm the new kid in town?"

"Eric is single. Perpetually," Pam replied without looking up.

I laughed and said, "I can see why."

That got Pam's attention. "You don't think Eric's good looking?"

I thought back to what I had seen of Eric. He was tall, muscular and had blond hair. I hadn't really caught much of his face, but that wasn't what really mattered to me. His personality, as far as I could tell, wasn't at all what I found attractive and that meant more to me than a pretty face.

"I didn't get a good look at him, but if his personality matches his appearance, I think I'd have to pass on him," I responded honestly, garnering me a scoff from Pam. "Why?"

"You're a rare breed, Sookie." Pam smiled knowingly and started to bag the groceries she was scanning.

"Am I?"

"Let's just say Eric is considered quite the catch around here."

"Well, good for him. Lucky for me, I'm not much for fishing."

Pam honest to goodness cackled, highly amused with my appraisal of this Eric character that hadn't so much as paused when he powered through me on his way to do whatever it was guys like him went off to do. I asked her a few questions about local restaurants and places to go, and she pointed out a few shops near the beach that were worth checking out. She also recommended a bar by the name of Loki's that was just off the beach not too far from my house. She raved that they had an interesting cross section of clientele (when I gave her a curious stare because of her age, she explained that she knew the owner).

"Do you mind me asking how old you are? You don't look that much older than me." Pam asked as she plucked my receipt from the printer.

"I'll be twenty-one in a couple of weeks," I said without any qualms.

Much to my surprise she grabbed the pen on the counter that was probably most often used for customers to sign credit card receipts. Pam used it to scribble her phone number on the back before handing the paper over to me.

"If you ever get bored, or need a guide, give this number a call." She smiled at me.

"Thanks." It was strange, but I figured she was just being friendly. I tucked the receipt in my purse so I could make sure the amount was deducted from the special account I'd had set up for my inheritance money, since that was what I would be living off of for the next couple of weeks.

"You have a great day now." Pam waved as I pushed my cart toward the door.

"You too, Pam." I waved over my shoulder and headed out to my car.

o.O.o.O.o

When I got back to the house, there was a lime green monstrosity parked in the driveway of the house next door that hadn't been there when I left. Much like my own house, the windows were all open, including the four sets of sliding glass doors. To top that off, music was blaring inside the house. I rolled my eyes and started to unload my bags. I saved the charcoal for last, since I had no doubt I would either drop it on my foot or somehow find a way to get completely dirty. I could use a shower anyway.

I sighed and then went into the guest bedrooms to close the windows and the doors so I wouldn't have to hear the music quite so loudly. I turned up the refrigerator and put the groceries away. I found the dishes were in the dishwasher and since I couldn't be sure if they were clean or not, I ran the machine. Then I went out back to get the grill started so I could make myself something to eat. I called my brother to let him know I had safely arrived in Michigan. He didn't pick up his phone, but that was just fine with me.

I debated over whether or not to call Bill. It seemed like the right thing to do. Problems or not, I wanted him to know I was okay, but then I figured if he really cared, he would call me first. If he didn't call, then I would know it was over. I could start moving on, and that would be one less thing for me to worry about. Calling my boss, on the other hand, was going to be a bit harder for me.

"Madden's," Victor spoke when he answered the phone.

"Hey, Vic, it's Sookie." I smiled brightly, hoping he would hear it in my voice on his end of the line.

"Oh, hey, how was your trip? Did you make it to Michigan?"

"Yeah, I'm here. It was fine. It was a long drive, but I'm here." I didn't really know what else to say, and Victor didn't seem to either.

"Glad to hear it. How's the house look?"

"Same as it did the last time I was here, shockingly enough. I'll have to email you some pictures in a couple of days. I can't wait to get down to the beach!" I shouted the latter part of my sentence when the music next door got impossibly louder.

"What the hell is that?" Victor shouted back.

"My neighbor, apparently! The windows are open and the music is on!"

"So I hear!"

"Shit!" I stared over at the house. "Let me call you back, okay?"

"Sure thing! Glad you're doing okay, Sookie!" Victor shouted and then he was gone.

I ended the call and went into the house to put my phone on the kitchen table. I stomped through the house, out the sliding door and down the steps of the deck Uncle Bartlett had built years and years ago with Jason's help. I crunched over the gravel of the neighbor's driveway, and considered kicking the obnoxious lime green O-Zone killer parked in it. I didn't since that would be some sort of vandalism, not to mention incredibly rude. I wanted to take a more Christian approach to the whole thing, but I had a right to a little peace and quiet, didn't I?

I stormed up the front steps of the house and shouted through the screen door. "Hey! Could you turn your music down?" I got no response, so I rang the bell. I could barely hear it over the thudding of drums and squealing of guitars. "Heeeeelllllllooooo!" I shouted as loud as I could, and still got nothing.

I turned around to go back to my house since it was obvious my neighbor was ignoring me, and I found myself eye level with a very nicely sculpted pair of pecs. I jumped back and nearly fell through the screen door. I looked up to see the irritating blond guy Pam thought I should be lusting after staring down at me with a pair of piercing blue eyes that seemed to drill holes right through my head.

"Can I help you?" He licked his lips.

"Could you please turn the music down just a little bit? I just got here, and I'm exhausted and there's no way I'm going to go to sleep soon if you've got the music so loud," I explained to him.

"You're the woman from the market. The one who was in my way," he realized as he smiled down at me.

"You mean the one you almost knocked over and just kept walking away from? Yeah, I'm her." I glared up at him.

"You're not from around here." It was then that I noticed he, too, had an accent.

"Why no, Captain Obvious, I'm not." I snapped at him, and he just smiled.

"You're feisty. I like that." His smile became a leer.

"Good for you?"

He chuckled, or at least I assume he did. He leaned into me, and for a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. He opened the screen door instead, and I almost fell for a second time in less than a minute. He grabbed my hand to steady me, but his hands were huge compared to my own. Then again, I was standing in front of a giant. He was easily a foot taller than me. A look at his face told me why Pam thought I would be lusting after him instantly. I probably would if it weren't for his personality. It was bordering on toxic.

"Come inside." He wasn't asking. He stepped in first and went to the stereo to turn it off altogether.

"Thank you," I said from the doorway.

"So where are you from?" he asked me.

"Louisiana."

"Never been there. What part?"

"Bon Temps."

"Never heard of it."

"Most people haven't."

"Come in," he invited a second time.

"No, thanks, I need to get back next door. I have a fire going in the grill and I really should-"

"We could have dinner together."

My head was spinning. He certainly moved quickly. "Maybe another time." I started to edge backwards out the door.

"Are you renting the house?" Eric continued, pointing to the house.

"No, I own it."

"So you're Mr. Hale's great-granddaughter then?"

"Great niece, and how did _you_ know that?"

"He was my neighbor." He said as if I should know better. "We spoke on more than one occasion. You're Sookie, yes?"

"Yes." It was strange that he already knew my name, but I suppose that made us even. "And you're Eric, right?"

"You spoke with Pam." He smiled at me.

"She saw you crash into me at the market."

"Pam has a big mouth. Only half of what she says is true," he warned me with a playful smile.

"I'll remember that." I was outside the house now, and Eric was advancing toward me. "Look, Eric, maybe another night we could have dinner, but tonight I would really just like a little quiet."

He nodded politely and said, "Tomorrow, then. I will cook."

Nope, he wasn't wasting any time, and it wasn't like I could run from him since we were neighbors. I was just thankful my bedroom didn't look into his. The last thing I wanted was to see him peeping through windows to get a look at me. I don't know what made me think he was the type to do that. Actually, he seemed more like the sort who would purposely prance around in front of his windows to get others to look at him.

I felt his eyes on me the whole way back to my house. I hadn't agreed to dinner the following night, but I hadn't said no, either. I told myself I wouldn't look back at him before going in the house, but I did anyway. He was waving at me when I did, and since it was only the polite thing to do, I waved in return. I went back into the house, and the music next door started again. He turned the volume down considerably, but I could still hear it. I sighed, and then went out back to check the coals.

When I looked to the right, Eric was stretched out on his deck doing sit ups. _Oh wonderful_, I sighed and put the lid back on the grill. I went into the house and got my chicken out of the refrigerator. I dropped a chicken breast into a Ziploc bag and smothered it in Italian dressing before putting it back in the fridge. I went to my travel bag and got out my toiletries and took them to the bathroom with me so I could shower.

The water relaxed me a little and I felt much better when I got out of the shower. I slipped into a pair of pajama pants and a little white tank top that made my tan look richer than usual. I was relieved when I went outside with my chicken to find that Eric wasn't working out on his deck anymore. The music was gone and it appeared as if the house was closed up. I looked to the left and noticed heavy and dark clouds out over the lake. I decided it was probably wise to follow suit, so I went inside and closed up the windows and got the air conditioner going.

I opened a bottle of wine (yes, yes, I know I shouldn't have been drinking, but it was there and Eric had rattled my nerves) and started putting together a salad to go with my chicken. I stood against my counter and sipped my wine for a minute before going out to flip my chicken over. My phone rang inside, but I was in no rush to answer it. I knew it was Jason calling me back. He could leave me a message. I was actually surprised he didn't just text me back the way he normally did after picking up one of my messages. I sighed and went back into the house to unload what I could of the dishwasher before my chicken was done.

I left out a plate and the necessary silverware and put everything else where I wanted it to go, which was exactly where Uncle Bartlett used to keep it. It was a system that worked. I saw no reason to change it. I took my plate outside and pulled my chicken off the grill. Eric was back outside, only he was dressed in a pair of tight jeans and an even tighter black t-shirt that nearly had me dropping my plate.

"I thought you were going to sleep?" Eric called over to me.

"After dinner," I answered, trying not to get agitated with him. Was he trying to get on my nerves, or just being friendly?

"Well, if you change your mind, you should come by Loki's," He suggested.

"That's what Pam told me, but since Pam only tells the truth half of the time..."

"She was actually right about Loki's. It's a fun place." Eric gave me what I assumed was his most devastatingly charming smile. I could see how it would be easy to get sucked into it. He was definitely good looking, but I don't know if I could go so far as to say I was attracted to him.

"I'll keep it in mind for another night." I started toward the house again. Eric was nothing if not persistent.

"Please do." He smiled at me. "Well, I'm off for the night. Enjoy the quiet."

"Thanks." I tried to smile, but I'm not sure it came out right.

I went back into the house and was just about to take a bite of my chicken when I heard Eric's car roar to life. I sighed and then got up to turn on the old transistor radio. Jazz filled the room and I felt myself relax. I sank into memories of happier times and enjoyed my dinner. I was washing the few dishes I had dirtied and humming along with Billie Holiday on the radio when my phone rang. It was Bill.

I turned off the water and dried my hands slowly, debating over whether or not to pick up the call. I walked the two steps over to the table and picked up the phone. I stared at his name flashing on the screen. I took a deep breath and then pushed the 'ignore' button under my thumb.

* * *

So there you have it. Now you know how Eric and Sookie met.


	3. I Can't Hold Back

Soooo here's Luke & Emma's second date. I'm really enjoying writing these two. They're just so effing cute. I have another o/s ready to go for these two, but it's going to have to wait a lil while since it's sort of set in the future. But I got the idea while chatting with **scribeninja**, and it just HAD to be written. I should be back with more regular LTS in the very near future, I promise. In the meantime, enjoy one of the other Northman brothers!

**Emma's Dress:** http:/www(dot)modcloth(dot)com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Dresses/Career+Woman+Dress+in+Petal

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I Can't Hold Back

I definitely couldn't get Emma out of my head. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her shy smile and what seemed to be a permablush coloring her cheeks. The day after our date, I did something I'd never done before: I sent a girl flowers. Well, I sent Emma flowers. All of the blossoms were pink. I figured I couldn't go wrong with that. Assuming she was a girl who liked pink. Oh well. The damage was done, so if she didn't like them they'd end up in the trash and I would most likely be none the wiser.

The flowers were delivered to her on Monday, since they didn't deliver on Sunday. I knew she got them when my phone rang with her name and number flashing. I felt giddy at the prospect of talking to her, which was something else that was new to me. I couldn't tell yet if it was good or bad. I mean, I liked Emma, obviously, I was just a little nervous about the prospect of a serious relationship.

"Hello?" I answered, knowing full well it was her.

"Hi." She said shyly. "Thank you for the flowers. They're lovely."

"You're welcome. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you." I could imagine her blushing the same shade of pink as her flowers on the other end of the line.

"I've been thinking about you, too."

"Good things, I hope."

"Oh, yes." She said sweetly. "I was... I was wondering if you had plans for Friday?"

I cringed, remembering I was heading back up to Michigan on Friday. "I'm actually heading up north again on Friday. But I'm free any other day this week." _Way to sound desperate, dipshit_.

"Oh, well, how about Wednesday then."

"Hump day." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Shock of all shocks, Emma giggled on her end of the line. "Well, as long as you don't take it too literally, yes, Hump Day."

"I promise to behave myself." And I would. Well, as much as my brain filter- which seemed to be on the fritz- would allow.

We talked for a little while longer. She told me about her weekend and how one of her sisters had come up with her niece. They'd gone to Lincoln Park Zoo and had a wonderful time together. I mostly sat around my apartment thinking about Emma. The exception being when Jake called to tell me Eric's tires had been slashed at the bar. Hearing that that Adam guy had shoved Sookie after she told him to take a hike was unexpected. Adam didn't seem the type, but it just goes to show what happens when you judge a book by its cover.

By the time we got off the phone, I couldn't wait for Wednesday. I agreed to meet her at her place since it was on my way to where we were going, although she wouldn't tell me where that was, exactly. All she would say was that it wasn't anywhere fancy and it was in the Wrigleyville neighborhood. The next sixty hours dragged ass. I talked to Mom, who was going through a rough time on account of her split with Bentley. Aside from his douchey name, he really wasn't a bad guy.

At least I thought so until he knocked up my Mom and left her. Yeah, okay, it was highly unlikely a woman her age was going to get pregnant, but it was still a possibility. Mom was stressed out enough without having to take on Bentley's headtrip, too. I really, really wanted to punch that guy. Instead, I promised to go over to the apartment on Tuesday and make sure nothing was missing that wasn't supposed to be.

I did as she asked me to, and everything checked out fine. It was for the best, since I'm sure he was more than well aware that three very angry, very large men would come looking for him and not stop until we got our Mom's stuff back. I made sure the place was locked up tight, then called Mom and told her everything was cool.

I spent the rest of the day trying to keep myself busy by planning out a few things to do on my radio show when I got back to it in just a few weeks. It was an exorcise of futility, really. My mind kept drifting. Finally, after many hours of feeling like my skin was going to crawl right off my body, it was time to head over to Emma's.

She was sitting on her porch swing when I got there. She smiled when she saw me approaching, and stood slowly to reveal a dress that fit right in with her naughty librarian sense of style. I couldn't help but wonder if she'd worn pink on purpose. She wore her hair back in a sleek ponytail, and like before, very little makeup. She looked beautiful in the fading sunlight.

I opened the gate to approach her as she started down the steps with her purse and a sweater draped over her arm. I doubted she was going to need it. It was really humid outside, which wasn't saying much considering the time of year. It was almost always humid enough to feel like you were walking through soup.

"Hi." I smiled at her.

"Hi." She smiled right back and I immediately noticed she didn't look down or away from me. Progress.

I was taking a chance, but I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. That adorable blush of hers got started almost immediately, but she was the one to reach for my hand. I gladly gave it to her.

"So, where are we headed?"

"The train." She smirked at me.

"Haha." I held the gate open for her.

"Don't worry, I think you'll like the place we're going. Heck, you've probably been there yourself a few times."

For the next three blocks I tried to guess where we were going, but she would never give me more than a smile or a shake of her head, not confirming or denying anything. After pestering her almost mercilessly once we got to the brown line stop, she shocked the hell out of me by grabbing my face and kissing me softly.

"Keep quiet and you'll get more of that later." She offered.

My lips were fucking sealed.

Our hands remained linked as we rode to the connection for the red line. I told her about my recon mission at my Mom's place, explaining the situation with Bentley. I told her a little bit more about my Dad, and what had gone down after he passed away. She listened with a sympathetic expression on her face, and squeezed my hand when I'd get stuck on words.

It stuck me then what a sweet person she was. I mean, I'd known it from pretty much the second I heard her voice, but it didn't really register until she was sitting there next to me, listening to me talk about things I hadn't shared with anyone. It was nice, having someone I felt like I could say anything to. She asked a few questions, but mostly, she just listened.

We transferred trains and before too long we were in Wrigleyville. We walked down Clark street together, hand in hand, and it struck me how comfortable it felt the second time around. We came to the intersection at Clark and Sheffield, and it wasn't until we got to this little hole-in-the-wall place that she stopped abruptly. We were standing in front of the Pick Me Up Cafe.

"This is it." She said with a smile.

I took in the building. It had a funky, eclectic vibe to it, and was painted vibrant colors. "Interesting choice."

"I think so." She smiled as I opened the door for her.

The place wasn't very busy and we were seated immediately in a booth facing the Clark side of the building. The restaurant offered a lot of vegetarian and vegan items, and I wondered how often Jake ate there. My question was answered when a waitress came by the table and called me by my brother's name.

"Hey, Jake, how's it going?" She had a nose ring, dreadlocks and a tattoo on her neck.

"Uh, Jake's my brother." I set down my menu.

"Oops, my bad." She looked over at Emma. "Good thing, too. I was worried I was going to have to tell Laura he was cheating on her with a hot librarian."

Emma blushed again and giggled at her menu. "No, Jake's actually apartment hunting with Laura as we speak. I'm sure he'll stop in before he heads up north again."

"Awesome. Are you two ready to order?"

I looked to Emma, who just nodded. "Go ahead."

She cleared her throat and ordered a ham scram, while I got huevos rancheros. "You like breakfast for dinner?" She asked.

"Who doesn't?"

She smiled brightly. We just sat there staring at each other for a minute, the spell only broken when the waitress came back with our drinks. Apple juice for her and iced tea for me. We sat quietly for a while, but it wasn't awkward quiet. It was thoughtful silence. I didn't mind it at all.

Our food arrived rather quickly, but that wasn't surprising considering how quiet the restaurant was. I watched as she doctored up her dinner the way she wanted her. Her eyes about bulged out of their sockets when she saw how much hot sauce I put on my eggs.

"Oh my gosh how are you going to eat that?" Her smile was full of anxiety.

I laughed quietly and said, "Not a fan of hot sauce, I take it."

"Not really." She watched as I piled eggs, peppers and salsa onto a tortilla.

"Fire down below!" I said jokingly, then took a big bite of the burrito I'd rolled up.

She winced on my behalf, even though it was nowhere near necessary. "Oh, you've got a much stronger stomach than me."

"So you don't want any sauce?" I held the bottle up over her plate.

"No!" She quickly covered it with her hands, laughing as she did so. "We'd have to call it quits pretty much right after dinner if you did that."

"I love spicy food." I took another big bite of my burrito.

"I can see that." She smirked, then took a bite of her scramble.

We talked about our favorite foods and she revealed an allergy to green apples that just randomly appeared two years before. I didn't have any food allergies. As a matter of fact, I only had one allergy, although I wasn't sure it was the right time to mention it to her, being that we were only on our second date and I didn't want to give her the wrong idea.

After we finished eating, we both ordered coffee. Well, Emma ordered something called a Macha, which was just the cafe's name for a mocha latte. I, on the other hand, got something called a Zombie that was guaranteed to make me hyper until next Tuesday. We got our drinks iced, and after a small argument over who was going to pay for dinner, Emma got her way and we left the cafe.

"You want to try this?" I offered her my cup.

"Oh, I don't think that's a good idea. I'd like to sleep some time this week."

We walked hand in hand down Clark until we got to Belmont. We looked in the window at The Alley, a store widely known around the area for its punk rocker and leather apparel. It didn't really strike me as the sort of place Emma would shop until I noticed a pair of shoes in the window that looked an awful lot like the ones she'd worn on our first date. _It's always the quiet ones, bro_, I told myself, but kept quiet.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Emma sounded more pissed off than I'd ever heard before as she stared up at what appeared to be a punked out version of one of those stupid ass robe/blanket things I'd seen on TV before that made absolutely not sense to me whatsoever. "A fucking Snuggie?"

Did she just drop an f-bomb? Something about hearing her curse like that was a total turn-on. Maybe because I wasn't expecting it from her. She was usually so soft spoken and a little reserved. Was this the real Emma coming out to play?

"Got a bone to pick?" I asked with amusement.

"I. Fucking. Hate. Snuggies." There it was again. "Seriously, how hard is it to work a blanket? I mean, how mentally deficient does a person have to be in order to require one of these things? Oh, look, I'm cold. I'm going to wrap a blanket around me. Oh, wait, damn, this is hard! I wish there was a blanket with sleeves? Gah!"

Her rant was adorable. "You okay there, slugger?"

Her face turned toward me, her eyes blazing with what was unmistakable anger. She took a deep breath and immediately, the anger was gone. "Yeah, sorry. It's just that stupid stuff like that makes me mad. It's laziness that makes that thing popular."

Maybe it was the caffeine, or maybe I just wanted to say something completely ridiculous because I looked at her with all seriousness and said, "Someone needs to make a Snuggie that is made out of the Shamwow material so when you're high on caffeine and you get the jitters and spill your drink, your Snuggie absorbs it."

She stared at me for a moment, considering her reaction before she burst out laughing. "Where the heck did that come from?"

"Random thought." I held up my Zombie.

"That sounds like something I'd read on high ideas dot com." She snickered and took a sip of her drink.

We started walking again, heading for Halsted, and into a part of the city that most straight guys wouldn't be walking around in. Personally, I wasn't bothered by it. While I definitely wasn't gay, I liked the energy. Most people were pretty friendly, and there were definitely some interesting shops to look around in. I found myself wondering how much time Emma spent in them. She seemed to know her way around this particular part of the city pretty well.

I lost track of how many blocks we walked. It was a nice night. It had started out a little less than comfortable, but with the sun officially gone and the humidity starting to fade, it was pretty great. We walked in a giant circle, and ended up in front of The Vic Theatre. The building could definitely use some work, but it was a great landmark. It had seen the start of a lot of great bands in its life.

"Did you know this place started out as a Vaudeville theatre?" I asked her.

"Luke, I barely know what street we're on." She admitted with a giggle before turning to look at some of the signs posted up. "Have you ever been here for movies?" Emma's face lit up.

"No." I shook my head.

"Oooh we should do that some time." She pointed to the list of movies that would be showing in the next couple of weeks.

I looked at the list and realized I hadn't heard of a single movie on the list, much less seen any of them. Still, I wouldn't be opposed to sitting in a dark room with Emma for a few hours, so I agreed it would be a good idea. We started walking again, pausing for a red light and to dump our empty cups. I probably could have run the whole way home, I was so wired, but Emma didn't look nearly as charged as I did.

"Are you ready to head home?" I asked her.

"What makes you say that?" She said, then fought to restrain a yawn.

"You look tired."

"I'm sorry. I'm having a good time." She assured me.

"Of course you are. You're with me." I reached for her hand again, and she reached back. Our fingers laced together and we started toward the brown line to head back toward our neighborhood.

We got on the train a few minutes later, and a few seconds after that, our lips were hopelessly locked. I sort of despised her decision to put her hair in a ponytail. She tasted like chocolate and coffee, thanks to her drink, and she smelled amazing. Her lips were soft and willing to let me take the lead. That is, until I pulled back. Our eyes met. She smiled briefly and then practically pounced on me. I welcomed it with open arms.

We got so caught up in each other we nearly missed our stop. Thankfully, she was paying closer attention than I was to our surroundings, and we jumped off the train just in time. We walked back to her apartment a few blocks away. We stood at the gate, neither of us ready to say goodnight just yet.

"Want to come check out my porch swing?" She offered.

"You don't think that's moving too fast?" I joked.

"Well, if you don't want to..." She teased as she turned and headed for her front porch.

I quickly followed and took a seat next to her. We sat there, swaying in the balmy breeze. She'd put her sweater on, although I had no idea how she wasn't sweating buckets. It wasn't really sweater weather, but as long as she was comfortable, I didn't care what she wore.

"So, now that you know about my total disdain for the Snuggie, is there anything that really gets on your nerves?" She asked me.

I thought about it for a minute and said, "Justin Bieber."

She laughed and said, "I have to agree with you there. That kid looks like an emo Stooge with his stupid haircut."

"My problem is that he compared himself to Kurt Cobain. I realize I'm not _that_ much older than him, but at least I was alive when Kurt was. There is _no way_ that kid is _anything_ like Kurt Cobain." I had a whole rant prepared on the topic, but decided to spare her my caffeine induced insanity. "Got any other big gripes I should know about?"

"People who dress their pets." She said quickly. "Honestly! Why does a dog need a sweater?"

I laughed and agreed with that. "Bible thumpers bother me. I always run the other way when I hear people randomly quote scripture."

"I don't like people who don't use their turn signals."

I winced at that one. "I admit to being an offender there. I'm not hardcore about it, but I've been known to forget."

She tsked me and said, "I guess I'll have to break you of that habit."

"You're certainly welcome to try."

She turned toward me and planted another kiss on me. "How about every time you remember to use your signal, you get one of those?"

I liked her technique, I'm not going to lie. "That might just be crazy enough to work."

"Good. Then how about I reward you in advance for a little while?" She suggested, and without waiting for my answer, she kissed me again.

By the time she was done, I was going to have to remember to use my turn signal religiously for the next six months.

* * *

Hopefully y'all aren't bored with all of the little Chicago bits I throw in here, but it's what I know. The Pick Me Up Cafe is amazeballs for hangovers. Not that I would know, or anything. *shifty eyes* Oh, and I should clarify that The Alley doesn't carry a punked out version of a Snuggie (at least not to my knowledge). I merely added it as a plot device because I hate those things, and I know I'm not alone. Anyone ever see the youtube video for the "What the Fuck Blanket?" If you haven't, go check it out as soon as you finish leaving review love! Also, I have to thank highideas(dot)com for Luke's suggestion for a Shamwow Snuggie. I had to modify it a little, but the general idea came from there. Stoner humor= win! **Scribeninja** and **Lubadub** will back me up on this. And now I must get my ass to bed before **tvgirlSVM** finds out I was up late. Later, lovers xoxo

**Emma's first date shoes:** hxxp:/thealley(dot)com/index(dot)php?route=product/product&path=108_115_173&product_id=1894

Psssst...Sorry I had to mangle that address. This site is way too picky about links *grumbles*


	4. Waiting For Tonight

Okay, so there are some spoilers here for LTS, but they don't have anything to do with Eric & Sookie. You've been warned. Enjoy the cuteness! And thanks to **scribeninja** for continuing to be so fuckawesome. I love that we share a brain.

* * *

Waiting For Tonight

I wish I could say I stopped counting our dates, but I hadn't. On our third date, we'd finally gone for the carriage ride around the Lincoln Park area. On our fourth date, we spent the day walking around a couple of museums and had lunch in Millennium Park. Every time I left her at her apartment, it got harder to leave. We spent more and more time saying goodnight to each other. Emma had come out of her shell in pretty big ways. We talked pretty much every day, and I looked forward to our conversations.

So when she suggested I come to her place for dinner on our fifth date, I was more than willing to accept her invitation. Things between us were good. I was curious to see her space. So far, I hadn't been inside her apartment, but I figured that was fair since she hadn't been to mine at all yet. I wanted to change that, but I also wanted it to be on her terms. By inviting me to her place, I figured it was safe to invite her to mine.

The night of our fifth date rolled around. Summer was coming to a close, and I wanted to bring her with me for the Labor Day barbecue I knew Eric would be having. I wanted her to meet Eric, because even though he and I weren't exactly seeing eye to eye on a lot of things at the moment, his opinion did matter to me. My only worry was that Mom would be there. I wasn't worried about Mom liking Emma. I was worried about Emma having a panic attack around a new person and getting herself so frazzled that she would worry about leaving a bad impression.

The only thing I was supposed to bring with me the night of our fifth date was a movie. I thought about bringing Van Wilder, but I wanted to go with someone I knew she didn't outright hate. So, I browsed through my collection until I found something I was sure we would both like. It took a while, but I was pretty sure I had a winner.

I didn't bother to put my contacts in when I woke up that morning. She'd mentioned having a thing for guys that wore glasses, and I figured since we would be safely sequestered in her house for the night, wearing my glasses would be fine. I walked over to her place since I had more than enough energy for it. It wasn't nervous energy anymore, but anticipatory. I couldn't wait to see her.

I strolled up to her house about ten minutes early. I knocked on her front door and waited. I could hear music playing inside, but couldn't name the band she was listening to. When her door opened, I grinned like a fool. She was wearing a gray, white and red plaid dress and yet another pair of heels that made me wonder how she could walk. Her hair was down and slightly wavy. She looked beautiful as always.

It took her all of two seconds to realize I was wearing glasses. She blushed and bit her lip, almost like she was debating over whether or not to pounce on me. All of a sudden her cat appeared. I'd heard stories about Costello, but had yet to actually meet him. He wove himself back and forth between her ankles, rubbing up against her.

"This must be Costello." I looked down at the cat.

"Yep, this is him." She bent down and scooped him up. "Costello, this is Luke. We like him." She talked to him like he was going to say something back.

I held my hand out for Costello to sniff at me. He looked up into my face like he was making a decision over whether or not my scent matched the words of his owner. He nuzzled against my hand, and I figured I had just been given the green light. Emma put him down on the arm chair where he promptly curled into a ball to watch us.

"Hi." She smiled up at me.

"Hi yourself. You looked beautiful." I leaned in and kissed her softly.

"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself." She stared at my glasses instead of my eyes.

I had never gotten that reaction before, but I was glad to be getting it from her. Her apartment was feminine, but not uncomfortably so. In fact, I really wanted to sink into her couch. One look at it, and I could see myself taking naps there with her. It was a big white couch with fluffy cushions and equally fluffy pillows on it. The walls were a soft buttery color. The floor was a medium stained hardwood.

From the living room we went to the kitchen. The floor was checkerboard tiled. The walls were off-white and mint green. There were brand new appliances in the kitchen, and it looked like the cabinets and drawers were distressed on purpose, and not due to neglect like at Eric's place. Her dishes were all stacked on shelves near the sink. Wicker chairs surrounded the medium size round table in the room. I noted a door in the corner, but had no idea what it was for.

"What's cooking?" I nodded toward the stove where she had a few pots going.

"Well, you said you'd never had a traditional southern meal, so that's what I'm making for you." Emma admitted with a return of a shy smile.

"It smells great."

"Thank you. It should be ready in about a half an hour. Want to see the rest of the place?"

"Of course."

Emma took my hand and led me around the rest of her apartment. She started with the bathroom, which was between the two bedrooms. The guest room was on the right. There was a girly flowered purple wallpaper on the walls. A cushy padded headboard was mounted against the wall with a queen size bed attached. The bedding was white, as was the furniture. I didn't see clothes anywhere or framed photos that would suggest it was Emma's room.

Then to the left of the bathroom was Emma's room. The walls were taupe and off-white striped. The furniture was a distressed off-white with taupe accents on it. Her bed was large, and like in the guest room, the headboard was cushioned and looked like it was mounted on the wall. There was a chaise lounge at the foot of her bed. The bed was flanked by small nightstands. Off-white and champagne colored pillows were piled on her bed. It looked like the comfiest place on the planet.

"So this is your room?" I smiled at her.

"Yep, this is my room." She bent to pick up Costello, who had been following us since the kitchen.

I noticed a little cat bed in the corner, and realized I had yet to see a litter box anywhere. That would have made me more nervous if the house smelled like cat, but it didn't. I hated that smell. It was part of the reason I wasn't too enthusiastic about cats. I suppose dogs had a smell all their own, but they were more fun to be around, in my opinion. Although Costello didn't seem to be too bad. As far as cats went, that is.

I reached out to pet him again, and he leaned right into it. "He's friendly for a cat, huh?"

"It's his breeding. He's a Bombay, and they're notorious snugglers. He has his own bed, but he would rather sleep curled up next to me where it's warm." She explained while stroking his back.

"And how's he going to feel about someone else wanting to snuggle with you instead?" It was the first time I'd hinted at us sleeping together.

Emma looked flustered for all of a second before she said, "He'll deal with it."

Good to know.

She put Costello down and he followed us out of her bedroom and back to the kitchen. I'll be the first to admit I know pretty much nothing about cooking. I can make toast, Ramen, frozen pizza and pop tarts. Those things do not a gourmet meal make. All the same, I offered to help Emma get dinner ready. She gave me small jobs to do, like fetching things from the fridge and setting the table. I was thankful for it, since I never would have had the slightest clue of what to do with anything bigger.

I watched as she pulled a tray of biscuits from one oven, and what appeared to be a peach cobbler from the other. My mouth was already watering. When all was said and done we had a small platter of fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes, collard greens (which I'd definitely never had before) and her homemade biscuits. Everything was delicious.

"You made an awful lot of food for just two people." I commented.

"Yes, but you have more than one stomach." She snickered. "This would be enough food for me for like, three days. I'm sure you'll put a dent in it."

"Keep cooking like this and I'm not going to want to leave." I warned her.

She giggled and asked what I thought of the greens. I wasn't too sure about them at first, but they really weren't too bad. They'd never take the place of corn on the cob for me, but they weren't bad. Over dinner we talked about every day sort of things. I'd gotten a call from Jake the day before telling me he was planning to propose to Laura at the end of summer. That was part of the reason I wanted I wanted Emma to come up to the Michigan with me.

I waited until we got to the cobbler, which she served with vanilla ice cream. The cobbler was still warm, so the ice cream pretty much melted on contact. It was amazing, just like the rest of the meal she'd made. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. If Emma was ever in need of a new career path, cooking should be somewhere at the top of her list.

"Oh my God, Em, this is..." I couldn't even find the right word to describe it. I hoped my eyes rolling into the back of my head said what words couldn't.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it." She smiled warmly at me.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about." I wanted to get this out of the way. I was pretty sure she would say yes to coming along, but there was still that little part of me that worried maybe it was too soon to suggest spending a weekend together, even if it wasn't for another couple of weeks yet.

"Sure." She took a small bite of her cobbler and waited for me to speak.

I took a deep breath and said, "Okay, what I'm about to tell you has to stay between us."

"Of course." She said as if it were a given.

"This is really important. The only people who know about this are Jake and Eric, so it has to stay secret." I wanted to be sure she got it.

"Okay." She looked curious, but nodded her consent.

"Jake's going to propose to Mini at the end of the summer." I told her.

Her mouth dropped open and then she squealed with delight. "Finally! I knew he would, but it's about damn time!"

"That's what I said." I laughed. "The thing is, he doesn't want her to know about it. He's got something planned for Eric's end of the summer cook out up at his place in Michigan. I talked to Eric about it, and he said it's fine if you come up for that weekend. So if you're okay with it, I'd like you to come."

"Oh." She breathed and then grinned widely. "I would love to."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course! I've never been to Michigan, m best friend is going to get engaged and I'd get to spend the weekend with you. I'd love to." Her eyes were sparkling with delight.

"Good." I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Did you think I was going to say no?" She looked a bit nervous.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure what you were going to say. Things have been good with us, but I wasn't sure if it was too soon for something like that. I mean, my Mom's going to be there. You haven't met Eric yet. I didn't want to push you into too much too soon."

"I think it'll be fun. Although," She looked down at her lap with one of those adorable blushes on her face that told me she was about to make a confession. "I've never been brought home to meet someone's parents before."

I stifled the laugh that threatened to escape me. "You have nothing to worry about. Mom's been a bit of a nutter lately on account of the pregnancy, but usually she's pretty laidback. She's protective, but I think most mothers are."

"Protective like, I want what's best for my son, or protective like no woman will ever be good enough?" She asked.

That was a fair question. "Honestly? This is really the first time all three of us have brought girls around her in a serious way. Mom gets along great with Laura, from all I've been told. She and Sookie didn't get off on a good foot, but that has more to do with the problems Eric and Sookie were having when they met. But you and me, I think, are pretty solid. Just be yourself and I'm sure she'll love you."

"Love me, huh?" She smirked.

"Yeah." I set down my spoon and reached for her hand. "Emma, just in case I haven't already made this very clear to you, I like you a lot. I see good things for us, and I've never seen another girl I've dated in my future in a significant way. I don't know what that means, but I like it. I like that you're always surprising me, and that just when I think maybe I've figured you out, you do something that completely throws me off. I am very much in like with you."

I don't think her face could have gotten any redder if she took a vacation on the sun. Rather than say something in response right away, she leaned over and kissed me. Her lips were sweet with just a tiny hint of spice from the vanilla bean in the ice cream. She pulled back quickly, winked at me and went back to her dessert. I wanted to ravage her right there. It was a sudden instinct that completely stilled me.

Not that I hadn't had sexual thoughts of Emma since we started dating, because I certainly had. The feelings just hadn't been so powerful as they were in that moment. Emma went about finishing her food without so much as looking at me, almost like she knew I needed a moment to collect myself. I was thankful she didn't ask me what was wrong because I honestly don't know what I would have said to her.

Oh me? Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to fuck your brains out right here on top of your Granny's peach cobbler. Yeah, I don't think that'd go over so well. So I thought of anything I could think of to keep my brain on a different wavelength. Eventually I remembered how to use my spoon, and got back to eating.

"Full?" Emma asked when I set down my spoon with a groan.

I grunted my response. Words failed me.

She giggled and reached for my plate. "Sure you don't want seconds?"

"Guh!" I made some sort of strangled noise that sounded like that and slumped in my chair.

"Well, I'm making you a little care package anyway because there's no way I can finish all this by myself. If you want to go lay down on the couch while I clean up, that's fine." She smiled at me.

"No, I'll help. Standing up might make it better." I reasoned, and slowly pushed myself up off my chair.

I didn't do much at first to help her. Mostly, I stayed out of the way while she packed up the leftovers, separating things the way she wanted them. She explained she was going to be sending some of the stuff upstairs to her landlord. Mrs. Caroline Bellefleur was an elderly woman who rarely left the house, but was very kind. She was also a southern woman, which partially explained the exterior charm of the house, and why she had chosen Emma, of all the applicants, to move in downstairs. To Emma, it was a little like having her Granny back.

"My Granny died when I was sixteen. We were pretty close, so losing her was hard. Mrs. B and I get on the same way I did with my Granny." Emma explained while she finished bagging containers to take upstairs.

"That's good. I didn't really have my grandparents around too much when we were growing up, but I've got a couple of cousins I'm pretty close to." I told her.

The Northman side of the family was pretty big, but everyone had sort of scattered after my grandparents passed. I never met my grandfather on that side. He'd died six weeks before I was born after having a massive stroke. Then when I was three, my grandmother died. I don't remember her. The family got together for holidays and birthdays while we were all little kids, but once we were adults, everyone just went their own way. It was hard to keep everyone together through college, and I knew Eric especially, wanted to be far away from his memories of Dad for a while.

I quickly changed my train of thought. Thinking about my Dad never got me anywhere good and I didn't want to ruin what was generally a good mood. We talked more while we cleaned up. Emma rinsed dishes and I stacked them in the dishwasher. It was still somewhat light out by the time we were done. We headed out front to sit on the swing for a bit. Costello wanted to come along, but he was relegated to chair sitting inside. I actually sort of felt bad for the guy.

We didn't stay outside for long. It was humid as hell out there and the air conditioning was just far too tempting. Heat like that on top of a full stomach didn't translate well, so we went back inside. Emma suggested we watch the movie I'd brought with me, at which point I revealed I'd brought options. I do believe she looked just the slightest bit disappointed when Van Wilder wasn't in the bunch. Maybe she didn't hate it as much as she'd claimed.

I'd brought Dazed and Confused, The Addams Family and The Silence of the Lambs. I figured they were all fairly safe picks, and movies she'd seen in the past. That way if things got a little heated, neither of us would feel bad for ignoring the movie. Okay, so it was a little diabolical on my part, and even more presumptuous, but if she pulled the plug, I'd deal.

Emma's face lit up and she said, "It's best to get it all at once. After the first 10 licks your ass gets so numb you don't feel it."

If I had been drinking something, I would have choked. It took me a moment to realize she was quoting Dazed and Confused. "All I'm saying is that if I ever start referring to these as the best years of my life - remind me to kill myself."

She smiled at me and said, "I love that movie, but I think I'm feeling The Addams Family tonight."

"I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss." I handed the DVD over to Emma, who was back to blushing.

She recovered quickly and said, "Don't torture yourself, Gomez. That's my job."

Touche.

I made myself comfortable on the couch while Emma got the movie set up. She came and sat down next to me. Close, but not too close. Costello hopped up on the couch like he was planning to chaperon the remainder of our date to make sure I kept my hands to myself. The cat curled up in Emma's lap and looked up at her with the expectant expression. She worked the remote with one hand, and scratched between Costello's ears with the other.

If it's possible, Costello gave me a smug look. And I thought you liked me, you little fuzzball, I glared at the cat as the movie started. All of a sudden, Emma put Costello down on the couch next to her and got up to turn off the lights. I couldn't help but watch her walk across the room and sit next to me, only a little closer than before. Costello climbed back into her lap and plopped down like he belonged there. He rolled onto his side to wait for his pets. Lucky bastard.

Emma set the remote down on the coffee table and curled her legs up under her. When she did, she leaned against me a little more, which I didn't mind at all. I kept my eyes on the TV, even when I knew she was looking up at me to make sure it was okay. I just smiled and kept my eyes forward. She relaxed a little after that, scratching her cat and slowly letting her head drift closer to my shoulder.

I decided to put her out of her misery and just wrapped my arm around her to pull her closer. She really needed to get over this aversion to moving forward. Maybe I needed to tell her she was welcome to touch me anytime she wanted, anywhere she wanted. My hand rested on her shoulder, but once she was relaxed against me, my index finger began to brush up and down her neck. She shivered just a little and I saw her lips curve up into a smile.

Her hand dropped onto my thigh, and she started tracing patterns. Any attention I might have been paying to the movie shifted to the movement of her fingers over the denim on my leg. I couldn't take my eyes off her hand. I quickly realized I was in deep shit. The smell of her perfume wafted up to my nose, and I inhaled deeply. I'd made the mistake of thinking it would calm me down. Instead, it just riled me further, and I had to shift on the couch to adjust myself a little.

What the hell was this girl doing to me?

If her hand moved just a few inches up she was- Oh no, I thought as it happened. She stopped moving. Then she pulled away from me. I closed my eyes and let my head sink back. This wasn't supposed to happen. But then there was more movement on the couch and the next thing I knew, she was straddling my lap. Oh shit.

I felt like I was fifteen all over again. What the hell?

I righted my head and opened my eyes to find Emma looking right at me. She was biting her lower lip, a sign she was about to do something she was unsure of, but would push through. Slowly- painfully slowly- her face got closer to mine. She licked her lips, and that was it. Before I could stop myself, I grabbed the back of her head and kissed her.

Her lips were soft and full and melded against mine just right. Kissing her felt completely natural, but was exciting at the same time. Her small hands clutched at my shirt before fanning out and pressing against my chest. When my fingers slipped into her hair she moaned and licked my lips. When my tongue slid against hers, her hips rocked gently. It was heaven and hell at the same time. I could feel how warm she was, and yet, I couldn't have that part of her. Not yet, at least.

The kiss deepened to the point where it felt like we were trying to devour each other. Her nails scratched lightly at my stomach before moving back to my chest. She got closer and closer until I had to move my mouth away from hers to take a few breaths. She surprised me, yet again, by trailing her lips along my jaw, the moving down my neck. She nibbled at my ear, then dragged her teeth along the column of my throat before latching onto a spot that made me jerk underneath her.

Her hands clamped on my wrists and moved my hands from her hair, down to her breasts. Fuck me, they were amazing. I'd stared at them more than once, and I was sure she knew it, even though I tried not to be too obvious about it. They were heavy, and somehow the right combination of soft and firm. She leaned into the palms of my hands and returned her mouth to mine.

We continued on that way for a while until she pulled back a little. There was a lazy smile on her face. Her hair was a bit messed up, but even in the darkness I could tell she was smiling at me. I tucked her hair behind her ears and debated what my next move should be. We were both breathing hard and probably trying to get our senses back in line. I was just starting to think clearly again when she pounced, pulling me down on top of her on the couch.

Costello mewled loudly and jumped out of the way. I would have laughed if Emma didn't already have her tongue in my mouth and her legs wrapped around me, pulling me closer. Jesus, I was in trouble with her. One minute she was the shy wallflower, and the next it was like she had eight arms and legs. I didn't know what to make of her. What really confused the hell out of me was that I liked it.

Her ankles locked and pulled me closer to her. Her hips rocked up against mine and I froze. I pushed myself up stared down at her. She looked confused, and I didn't blame her. I took a deep breath and tried to phrase what I needed to say.

"What's wrong?" She asked between gasps for air.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Okay."

It would have been easier to get the words out of I wasn't watching her breasts heave up and down with every breath she took. I was easily distracted at that point.

"Luke?"

"Right, sorry." I shook my head. "It's not really a big deal, but it's something you should know."

"Okay."

"I have an allergy."

"Okay?" She looked confused again. "What are you allergic to? Is it cats? It's cats, isn't it."

"No, it's not cats." I smiled at her.

"Oh. Good." She smiled in return. "So then what is it?"

I took another deep breath and said, "Latex."

"Latex?" She arched an eyebrow. The dots weren't connecting.

I lowered myself until my hips met hers, letting her feel what all of the making out had done to me. She squeaked at the contact. "Latex."

Her eyes widened, finally understanding what I was telling her. "So you can't use condoms?"

"I can. I do. All the time. I just can't use latex condoms." I explained to her.

I went on to tell her about the research I'd done and the selection I'd made. There were several options available, but most people didn't really bother to look into it unless they had to. I was happy when Emma didn't freak out. She listened and asked a few questions, but there was no panicking.

"So, you're okay with this?" I asked once I told her everything I knew.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for telling me. That obviously wasn't easy for you, so I appreciate that you trusted me enough to mention it." She stretched forward and kissed me.

"Well, it's not just about me, you know." I slumped down next to her on the couch and pulled her close to me.

"Well, it's not like I'd really know the difference." She admitted quietly.

"What does that mean?" Now it was my turn to be confused.

She took a deep breath and said, "You trusted me with something important to you. Now I'm going to do the same."

"Okay." I stroked her hair gently. I could feel how tense she was, and I tried not to tense up right along with her.

"There's actually two things you should know about me." Her fingers drummed rhythmically against my ribs. "First, I'm on the pill. I have been since I was fifteen. My doctor put me on it to regulate my cycle."

"Okay." I'd actually heard about that before, but I didn't really do a whole lot of reading about it. "What's the second thing?"

There were a few more deep breaths before she said, "I'mavirgin."

The words tumbled out of her mouth quickly, and it took me a moment to decipher them. Once it clicked in my head what she was telling me, I was in a total state of disbelief. I mean, as far as her personality went, it explained a lot. It explained the blushing and the uncertainty when it came to getting closer to me in a physical sense. At the same time, one look at her and I wondered how in the hell she was still a virgin. She was gorgeous. I failed to believe no other man had at least tried to convince her to give it up. But then, she hadn't said that. She just said she hadn't.

"Okay." I said simply.

"Okay?" She echoed nervously.

"Em, what did you think I was going to say?"

"You don't think it's weird that I'm twenty-three and I still haven't had sex?"

"I think it's unusual, but no, I don't think it's weird. The decision to have sex with someone is a personal thing. If you've abstained, you had your reasons for it. You don't need to justify your choices to me." I kissed the top of her head.

A few seconds later I felt something warm and wet on my chest and realized she was crying. Fuck did I say something wrong? Given my own sexual history, I wasn't in any position to judge her for the choices she made. Just a few weeks ago I was messing around with a woman almost old enough to be my mother, and doing all sorts of crazy shit. Emma was a nice change of pace, and it struck me then that she was exactly what I had been looking for.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked her.

She sniffled and then sat up. "No, God, Luke, no. You...you're so sweet."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because most guys aren't so understanding. They find out I'm a virgin and either they run screaming from the room, assuming I have all sorts of hang ups, or they think I'm throwing some sort of challenge at them. And you? You just roll with it like it's no big deal."

"Being a virgin doesn't define who you are, Emma, and it doesn't change the way I see you. You're just you. If you wouldn't have told me- and I'm glad you did- I wouldn't have known. At least not until it was too late, and that wouldn't be fair to you."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because..." I trailed off there, carefully choosing my next words. "Because you deserve something special when you decide you don't want to be a virgin anymore, and not just some guy."

I sat up and wiped away her tears with my thumbs. She collapsed against me and cried for a few more minutes, although I didn't know what she was crying about. Still, I kept my mouth shut and just let her get it out. When she was done she apologized for ruining my shirt, as if I cared.

"Don't worry about it." I smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I'm a mess. I'm just going to go fix my face." She apologized and then went to the bathroom.

I flopped back on the couch, only for Costello to jump up on my chest. I nearly flung him across the room. After my heart got back to beating its regular rhythm in my chest, I scratched him between his ears. He was staring me right in the face with what appeared to be an expression of warning, daring me to fuck with his human.

"Don't worry, man, I'll be good to her." My words did little to ease his feline mind, since he just continued to glare at me.

* * *

Are you in a coma from all that sugar? They're so disgustingly sweet. I pity poor **scribeninja** when they finally have their first fight. I imagine I'll spend a good deal of time rocking her in her crying corner. Poor bb.


	5. A Good Night's Sleep

Oh hai there! No, I'm not dead. I've been obsessively writing these two. **Scribeninja** can totes back me up on this. Everything else has just come to a screeching halt. I'm not sure how many more of these chapters I'm going to update here, since they aren't fanfic characters, but original ones. I think I might start adding this to my livejournal, so if you're a fan, that's where you can find them from now on.

* * *

A Good Night's Sleep

Emma and I fell asleep on her couch about twenty minutes into _The Silence of the Lambs_. I was woken up by Costello hissing at me some time later. His face was so close to mine our noses were practically touching, and he was staring right at my eyes. Gold, glowing eyes will freak you the fuck out if you're not prepared for them, believe me. It was fucking creepy. I cleared my throat and Costello made the cat equivalent noise to that before jumping down off my chest. It almost felt like I was being warned by him, yet again, but that was ridiculous, wasn't it? He's just a cat.

I was afraid to move. I didn't know if Emma was a light sleeper or not. On one hand, I was perfectly content to spend the rest of the night on the couch, snuggled with her. On the other hand, I didn't know how she would feel about it. I must have been thinking too loud because she stretched next to me and then burrowed a little closer.

"You snore." She accused with a giggle.

"You moan." I retorted. It was true.

She moaned in her sleep, and it was fucking torture. Throw in a few bucks of her hips against my side, and I had one hell of a hard time behaving myself.

"Sorry I fell asleep. Between the food, the time and you, I just got too comfy."

"I bored you. I understand." I fake pouted at her.

"You shush." She climbed on top of me.

Any work I'd done to will away the hard-on I'd gotten while sleeping was erased instantly. Apparently, in telling me her big secret, she had let loose some of her inhibitions as well. Not that I would call her a prude, really. She was testing the waters, feeling me out. I didn't mind it one bit.

It dawned on me then that while she had confessed to being a virgin, she hadn't mentioned whether or not she planned to stay that way. Was her decision based on religious views? Had she just not found the right person? She'd mentioned an ex who had done a number on her in the past. She'd also said something about guys running, or thinking she was offering a challenge. It was a touchy subject. I wanted to ask questions, but didn't want to push my luck with her.

"You do not bore me." Emma pressed herself against me and braced her elbows on my shoulders. "And since you fell asleep too, maybe I bore you."

"Not a chance." I locked my hands together at the small of her back, holding her to me.

Her head dipped down and her lips brushed mine before going to my neck. I was pretty sure I would be marked up the next day, but I wasn't too worried about it. Oddly enough, I sort of welcomed it. I let Emma take the lead. Until she felt completely comfortable with me, I thought it was for the best. I didn't want to be another guy who pushed for more than she could give.

She pulled back, bit her lip and said, "Lets go to bed."

"Bed?" The word conjured up all sorts of images I had ever right to be imagining, but would need to keep to myself until she gave me the green light.

"Yeah. You know, the cushy rectangle you sleep on with the pillows and blankets?"

"I know what a bed is, smart ass." I narrowed my eyes at her.

She climbed off of me. "If you don't want to stay, you don't have to."

Shit. She was hurt. Fuck.

"No, Em, I want to...just..."

"What?"

"I figured since, you know, you wouldn't want me to stay."

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't."

Good point. I'm an ass.

"So, are you coming or going?" Emma asked.

"I'll stay." I smiled at her. "Just sleep, though. Don't think this means you get to molest me in my sleep."

Emma's mouth dropped open in a comical way. She quickly recovered from her shock, stalked closer to me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I'll behave myself, but when I do molest you, you won't want me to stop."

Fuck. My. Life. I growled at her.

"Keep talking like that, sweetheart, and I won't be able to keep my promise."

She giggled some more, then turned off the TV and checked the doors to make sure the apartment was locked up for the night. I followed her to her bedroom and froze in the doorway. Her bed suddenly seemed tiny. I watched her put her shoes away and then retrieve a nightgown from a dresser drawer. I twas white and a little on the flimsy side. I swallowed hard.

Fuck. She was testing me. She had to be. I could handle this. Just a few hours in a bed next to her. Once I fell asleep (yeah, like that was going to happen!), it wouldn't even matter what she was wearing. Or wasn't, for that matter. And surely she knew I had no control over my brain while I was asleep. I was going to be supremely uncomfortable in the morning.

"I'll just go change. Make yourself comfortable." She offered one of her shy smiles, then disappeared.

I took my shoes off, but that was it. I sat on the edge of her bed and listened to the running of water across the way. I heard the low rumble of thunder overhead. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dimly lit room. I counted the second between thunderclaps and lightning bolts like my Dad had taught me when I was little. By my estimation, the storm was a good six miles away.

There was the added sound of a toilet flushing, then the bathroom door opened moments later. Emma returned to her bedroom in that flimsy white nightgown that left very little to the imagination. I could see through it enough to know she wasn't wearing a bra, and it took all the control I had not to pin her up against the wall and fuck her right there. I wanted to. Badly. Instead, my mind started to contemplate whether or not she had tan lines. My jeans were painfully tight at that point, and I could only pray that the image of old ladies doing stripperobics would be enough to calm me the fuck down.

"You don't have to sleep in your jeans, Luke." Emma said awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah, I do." I ran my hand up and down my face. Never in my life had I wanted to take my jeans off as much as I did right then.

"Why?" She asked innocently.

"I, uh, I'm not...I went commando."

Her eyes widened. She blushed, then smiled at her feet. "Oh." At least I wasn't the only one who seemed to be imagining dirty things.

"Yeah, I uh..." I trailed off. I felt like I should explain, but really, what was I going to say? It was pretty self-explanatory.

"Don't worry about it, Luke. It's okay. We all have our preferences. I like boy shorts." She shrugged.

Was she trying to kill me?

This had to be karma coming back to get me for every douchetastic thing I'd ever done to a woman in the past. Here was this amazing girl that I actually really liked, and keeping my hands to myself wasn't exactly the rule, but I couldn't just act on my impulses around her. I took a few deep breaths, and pictured the oldest, wrinkliest woman I could doing high kicks.

The image might have been working, but then Emma got into bed and her nightgown exposed more cleavage than I had previously been witness to. I lay down nex to her, trying not to be stiff as a board. Some parts of me were more relaxed than others. Emma rolled onto her back and reached for my hand.

She exhaled loudly, let her head roll toward mine. There was a coy smile on her face that made me incredibly nervous. "Would it make you feel better if I took my panties off, too?"

That did it. I snapped. I pulled her under me and kissed her hard. She gasped and my tongue immediately darted out in search of hers. She kissed me back, erasing any panic I may have had for jumping her like I did. You can only poke a sleeping bear for so long. I held her hands up over her head with one of my own. The other ran up the silky skin of her thigh and under her nightgown. My fingers grazed the curve of her hip, but kept going until I'd found one of her nipples to tease. she moaned as her hips lifted, rubbing against what was rapidly becoming an agonizing erection.

"Emma..." I breathed a warning in her ear, but she just did it again. I took that as a green light.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd dry humped someone, but it if it meant curing the ache in my groin and watching Emma come, it would be worth it. We found a rhythm with our mouths as well as our hips. I could feel how hot she was through the denim I was cursing. I would be wearing boxers from now on.

I let Emma's hands go, and the first thing she did was pull my shirt off. I ground against her a little harder, and was rewarded with another series of gasps and moans. I felt like I was really seeing her in those moments. I paid attention to the noises she made and the feeling of her skin on mine.

"Luke, I'm..." She gasped, then shuddered while a low moan escaped her throat.

The expression on her face was one of surprise and bliss, and it felt good to know she looked that way because of me. It pushed me over the edge, and just when she opened her eyes, I came. Hard. Much harder than I thought I would. My heart was pounding in my ears. If I came that hard without real contact, then...good God.

I slumped against her and kissed her neck. I tasted just a hint of salt from her seat. When I got myself under control again, I rolled off of her and stared up at the ceiling. I was still slightly dazed by what had just happened. Rain slapped against the window across from us.

"That was...I've never felt anything like that before." Emma confessed quietly.

Shit. "Was that your first-" I held my breath.

"No." She admitted with an adorable blush, but I felt a little better knowing that wasn't her first orgasm. Although, the thought of her touching herself got me going again, but I had to tamp it down. I couldn't keep attacking her like that.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

She rolled onto her side and grinned at me. "Oh, yes. I'm better than okay. Thank you." She kissed my cheek.

When she tried to roll away from me, I held her close. She snuggled against me, and before I knew it, she was asleep. I waited until she rolled away form me before I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to clean myself up. It was a rather disgusting mess, but it was well worth it. I splashed some cold water on my face and spotted a few marks on my neck. If it would have been anyone else that had done it, I would have been pissed.

As it was, I just smirked in amazement. Emma and I needed to talk about this sex stuff more. I needed to know where, exactly, she stood on the issue. If she had boundaries, I wanted to know before I accidentally crossed a line that pissed her off. Or worse, she just broke up with me altogether. But then, we hadn't really had that talk either. We hadn't said we were seeing each other exclusively. I didn't think she was seeing anyone else, but I didn't know for sure.

I got back to bed, but kept to my side. It was just safer that way until I knew what was going on. I listened to the rain and Emma breathing next to me. It didn't help my self-control to see her tiny white boy shorts- that I knew were lace from touching them- peaking out from under her flimsy nightgown. I groaned in frustration and forced myself to roll over. I closed my eyes, but all i saw was Emma's face when she came. I wanted to see that face again. Over and over if she'd let me. I'm not sure how long it took, but I eventually fell asleep.

My eyes opened and I wasn't in bed anymore. I was naked and tied to a chair. Emma was on her bed, kneeling in front of me. Her hair hung down her back in perfect waves. There was just enough makeup on her face to make her eyes pop and her lips shiny.

All she was wearing were the white boy shorts I'd seen before going to sleep, and a pair of heels I'd never seen on her before. She smiled when she saw my eyes were open, like she'd been waiting for it. My eyes drifted down to her breasts. Bare. Round. Full. Heavy. Her hands traveled up her sides until she was loosely cupping her breasts, her index fingers teasing her dusky pink nipples until they stood at attention- much like my cock was.

Goddamn, she was sexy.

"Tell me what to do, Luke." She pouted as her fingers continued their teasing.

"Untie me."

"No, no." She waved a finger at me. "It's not that kind of game. You just get to watch."

Was this a dream or a nightmare?

"Fine. If you won't play, I'll just have to play with myself."

I watched her right hand slide down her body, and into her shorts. She moaned, and I could only guess she was touching herself. I watched her hand move and her hips rock in a rhythm that made me fight the restraints that bound me to the chair.

"Don't fight it, Luke." She moaned, letting her head roll back.

"What does it feel like?" My voice was gravel.

"Warm and wet. Mmmm...so wet." Her hand moved faster.

"What are you thinking about?" One hand. I just wanted used of one of my hands.

"You. I'm thinking about you inside me, fucking me, making me scream your name and beg for more. I'm thinking about tongue, your lips, your cock, all of them teasing me at once. And it feels so good, Luke." She moaned loudly, her hips rocking faster to keep up with her hand.

"Untie me and you can have it, sweetheart." I promised her.

Her eyes found mine and she looked right at me when she asked, "What would you do if I untied you?"

My mind raced with all the possibilities. I saw her in various positions, doing various things, all of which I wanted at once. She started chanting my name as she got closer and closer to coming. Her back arched and her lips puckered before relaxing. Her mouth opened and her head fell back.

"Luke! Luke!" She cried out as she came.

"Luke?" Emma's voice jarred me out of sleep.

I opened my eyes to find her curled next to me. She was wearing my glasses. Holy fuck. How was I supposed to not attack her? She had to know that would have a very specific effect on me. I rolled on top of her and she didn't try to push me away.

"Are you trying to kill me, woman?" I looked her dead in the eyes.

She smiled sweetly and said, "No. Just wanted to say good morning."

But then her legs locked around my waist and she stretched forward to kiss me. She was all minty fresh and beautiful. I, on the other hand, was a mess. It was oddly sexy to kiss her while she was wearing my glasses. I was flooded with the image of her dressed like a nerd, and my morning wood went from painful to agonizing.

Her hands slid up my back, tracing little patterns with her fingertips. I pulled back from her and looked down into her eyes. She was smiling up at me. Her hair was a bit wild and fanned out on the champagne colored pillow under her head.

"Good morning." She continued to trace her patterns.

"Good morning." I dipped down and kissed her softly before pulling back again. "I have to ask you something."

"Anything." She wiggled under me and squeezed my sides with her legs.

I growled at her, which only made her giggle. "Not that I'm not enjoying this right now, but I need to know where you stand on the sex issue. I appreciate what you told me last night, and I don't want to pressure you or cross any lines. Are you waiting until you get married?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment and said, "No, I'm not." She bit her lip, which I knew meant there was another confession coming. "I think I've been waiting for you."

* * *

Adorable, right? It's pretty sickening. So if you want to know whether or not Emma gives it up, you're going to have to check in on livejournal. You CAN get alerts about when I post if you're a member there and added to my friends list. Hopefully I'll get the urge to write E/S again soon. Happy Turkey Day to my American friends! Later gators.


	6. Outtake Man I Feel Like A Woman

**Alright…so here's the outtake. Beware the ramblings/thoughts of a drunk Sookie *facepalm***

* * *

Outtake: Man! I Feel Like a Woman

"See? He still loves you. Don't give up, Sookie," Emma said with a wink and a pat on my knee.

I decided I was going to put Eric out of my mind and focus on helping my friend have a good night. Emma and I had done some researching online and come up with a few fun activities to do over the course of the night. Our next stop was a bar on Diversey I had never been to before but was one of Laura's favorites. There were few things she enjoyed more than a good dirty martini, and according to Laura, this place made the best ones in the whole city.

Our little group was able to find a table and it just so happened a jazz band was playing that night. Jazz wasn't really my thing but the way Laura was sort of wiggling along in her seat, I got the feeling she was enjoying it. I spent some time chatting with a few of Laura's friends I'd met at the shower the month before. Celine was a set designer for a local magazine and Sarah was a fact checker for the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Hearing them talk about work was a reminder I was just waiting tables when I had a perfectly good degree in psychology I hadn't even attempted to use. I started getting down on myself and it didn't help matters whatsoever when the jazz band began playing a more somber song. I ended up at the bar by myself, ordering a Long Island Iced Tea while finishing off my third gin and tonic.

_Pace yourself, Stackhouse_, I thought but completely ignored it. When the jazz band was replaced by a blues band, I was in deep shit. I could hear the girls laughing over something and watched as Emma broke out the list of scavenger items Laura was supposed to hunt down by the end of the night. Honestly, I don't know where people came up with some of the things on that list.

I watched as Laura got started on the list by asking an older gentleman to dance with her. He looked old enough to be her grandfather, but they were adorable as they walked out to the small space that was cleared for dancing. I was half way through my second Long Island when Emma walked up next to me. She looked at me with concern and asked, "How many of those have you had?"

"This is number too," I could hear in my voice I was buzzed, even though I felt perfectly fine.

"Uh huh," she slid the glass away from me and ordered a water. "How about you work on that for a while and give Long Island here a rest?"

"I'm fine, Emma," I tried to get my Long Island back but she held it away from me.

"Just humor me. I don't want you to spend the night puking and crying in the bathroom," she patted my shoulder and walked away with my drink.

Bitch.

Okay, so maybe I was a little buzzed.

I drank the damn water, ordered myself a fresh Long Island and then made my way back to the table where the other girls were sitting. As Laura walked off the makeshift dance floor, she paused at a bald man and asked if he would mind her kissing his head. His reaction was priceless until she explained her reasoning for it. Then he shrugged and she laid one on him, leaving rosy pink lip prints on his shiny, bald head.

"You look like someone died," Laura sat down next to me.

"I'm fine," I stammered, like I tended to do when I was drunk. Only I wasn't drunk, just a little buzzed.

"Maybe we should head over to Howl at the Moon?" Emma suggested since it seemed everyone was starting to lose steam on account of the blues band that was playing. There were very good, just not what you wanted for a party atmosphere.

Emma settled the tab before we headed out to the limo. Before the party Emma had put together a mix for the night and she slipped the CD into the player in the back of the car. Two seconds later the opening notes of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman" started to play and the country girl in me went crazy. Next thing I knew I was half out the sunroof, singing at the top of my lungs and dancing along to the music. I could hear Emma, Laura, Celine and Sarah laughing inside the car but I just kept right on dancing.

Okay, maybe I _was_ a little drunk.

Laura and Emma pulled me back into the car when the driver started having a kitten in the front seat. He started talking about liability and not wanting to get sued if I got hurt and blah, blah, blah. I sat down with a pout and had a little internal tantrum until a Lady Gaga song started playing, and then my spirits were instantly lifted. I'd come to realize over the course of the last year that there were few dark moods a little Lady Gaga couldn't lift.

_I can't remember but it's alright, alright. Just dance. Gonna be okay. Just dance_, I decided that was going to be my theme for the rest of the night. When we got out of the limo Laura immediately approached a rather buff looking guy who was waiting in line and asked him to give her a piggyback ride in exchange for bringing him into the bar with us. He was more than agreeable, but his girlfriend didn't seem too keen on the idea.

"It's okay, I'm engaged," Laura held up her hand, showing off her engagement ring. "I promise, I just need him for thirty seconds and then he's all yours."

"You can tell them you're part of our party," Emma suggested, which Laura readily agreed to.

The girlfriend caved in and kissed her boyfriend's cheek before he turned around and Laura hopped on his back. "I'm Deanna," the woman held out her hand to Emma.

"Emma," Emma said in response and then pointed to me and the other girls. "That's Sookie, Sarah and Celine. And the monkey woman on your boyfriend's back is Laura."

"Nice to meet you," Deanna said in a friendly way.

"Deanna, you don't mind me calling you that do you?" I asked her and she looked from me to Emma like she thought I was about to prank her.

"Uh, go ahead," Deanna offered a nervous smile.

"Deanna, do you think it's wrong to sing Shania Twain out the sunroof of a speeding limo?" I asked her, since it was the most pressing thought in my head at the moment.

Deanna burst out laughing and Emma stepped between us. "Okay, you're officially on water detail, light weight."

"I'm not a big Shania fan," Deanna told me with a gentle pat on the arm. "But if it were Aerosmith, it'd be game on."

"I think I love you," I threw my arms around her.

Okay, I was definitely drunk.

Emma watched me like a hawk and had me downing a few glasses of water before she would let me anywhere near the bar. I made the mistake of stopping in the ladies room after my third glass of water. Breaking the seal was bad, I knew that much. My small number of drunken nights had taught me the importance of not going to the bathroom if at all possible, otherwise I'd be running in there every ten minutes or so.

But then I felt so much better after I peed, it was next to impossible to be disappointed in myself. I snuck out of the bathroom before Emma was finished and headed to the bar. Walking in my five inch pumps was becoming more and more of a gamble but that didn't stop me from ordering an Adios Mofo, a drink that came _in a bucket_, and was meant to be shared with friends. It looked a little like anti-freeze but it tasted like heaven. I don't know how long it took me to gulp that bitch down, but I think I did it in record time.

I watched as Laura got a guy to buy her a shot, show another guy her bra, tell a guy very loudly how much she loved her own ass and as if all that wasn't enough, she rubbed up on a guy with big muscles. Just when I started to think the show was over for the night, she was called up on stage to take a blow job shot from between a guy's legs. Celine stood at the edge of the stage to take pictures while Emma pulled me down to sit in her lap. It was a little strange, but it was better than falling flat on my ass. The bar was definitely at standing room only capacity.

I saw a tall blond guy on the way out that I was sure was Eric, but the girls herded me out of the bar before I could properly investigate. Of course, that didn't stop me from pouting in the limo. "That was Eric!"

"What?" Emma laughed as she settled next to me.

"In the bar! I saw him!" I tried to get up but she stopped me.

"No, honey, they aren't there. They're at Smart Bar," Emma told me.

"Can we go?" I was on the verge of tears.

All at once the alcohol really started to hit me and the whole 'Just Dance' concept completely left my brain. I wanted Eric in that moment and I didn't care if I had to get out of the limo at the next streetlight and hitchhike my way across the city, I was going to find him. Emma put her arm around me and tried to calm me down.

"I just…" I sucked in a breath to keep from sobbing. "I miss him…so…" I lost it. I started snotsobbing like the drunken idiot I was.

"Honey, come on," Emma stroked my hair but it did little to soothe me.

"Hey!" Laura suddenly slapped me out of nowhere and the sting on my thigh snapped me out of my drunken sobfest. "This is a bachelorette party, not a funeral, for fuck's sake. So suck it up, drink it up," she handed me another drink. "And quit worrying about Eric."

Emma furrowed her brows at Laura but I simply clinked my glass of champagne against Laura's and drank up like she told me to. Work on the highway prevented us from getting on where we wanted to and we were forced to detour through the city. It was while we were stuck in traffic on North Avenue that I saw it. Tatu Tattoo.

"Stop!" I shouted out of nowhere. "Stop the car!"

The car came to a sudden stop and I lunged over Laura to get to the door. "Whoa, hold up there, tiger," Laura pulled me back.

"Let me out," I said over my shoulder to her.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked.

"I'm getting a tattoo. You can either come with me, or you can leave me here and I'll find my own way back to Laura's," I told him.

"You're drunk, sweetie. You're going to be pissed when you wake up tomorrow," Emma warned.

"I don't care," I shrugged as well as I could for the position I was in.

"What are you going to get tattooed?" Laura asked me with a challenging look on her face.

Good question. What _was_ I going to get tattooed? "A Swedish flag!"

Laura burst out laughing while Emma slapped her palm to her forehead. "Sookie, this is a terrible idea," Emma shook her head.

"This is a _great_ idea!" Laura opened the car door for me.

"Laura, don't encourage her!" Emma pulled me back, but I shook her off.

"So help me God if you don't let me out of this car I'm setting it on fire!" I shouted and then climbed over Laura to get out. I'd gone from Debbie Downer to Bitchy Betty in less than a minute. I blamed the champagne.

Laura walked into the shop with me and our arms were linked. A slim guy with dark hair and eyes approached us. I tried to straighten myself up as much as I could before clearing my throat and saying, "Good evening, sir, I would like to procure a Swedish flag tattoo."

He looked at me as if to say, "Are you serious?" and I just widened my eyes at him. "Are you drunk?" he looked me up and down.

"I may have imbibed but it's my right as an adult," I stood up even straighter.

"Tattooing while intoxicated isn't a good idea," the guy said.

"Listen, Mr. Tattoo Guy, I've had a really shitty night and my ex-boyfriend is…well, he's somewhere close by and I-"

"Sookie, please," Laura cut me off. "We'll sign whatever you need us to sign to waive liability here, okay? And I'm a notary."

"You are?" I stared at her, having no idea.

"Let me talk to the manager," the tattoo guy walked off to go get his manager. What a wimp.

"No, I'm not really a notary but they don't know that," Laura winked at me and I burst out laughing. "Hush before you blow my cover."

"Right, sorry, Notary," I giggled quietly.

I had to sign some stupid waiver and wait for the tattoo guy to find a Swedish flag on the internet so he could draw it up. Even though my legs were silky smooth he had to shave the area on my ankle where I decided I wanted the tattoo.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" Tattoo Guy asked with the gun poised in his hand.

"If I can't have a Swede in me, I want one on me," I nodded, causing Laura to let go of my hand and literally fall over laughing.

The gun started buzzing and then there was pain in my ankle. I tried not to move but it was hard not to. I was in an awkward position on this gurney type thing. After a few seconds the pain just became a strange buzzing feeling and it felt like someone was scraping my skin with led from a mechanical pencil. It really wasn't so bad. It took a little more than twenty minutes to finish my tattoo. Tattoo Guy covered it with some kind of ointment and then a band-aid.

"You need to keep this covered for an hour or two and then you need to wash it. Moisturize it at least every other hour and _do not_ scratch it. It's really important to keep it clean and moisturized. When it's healing in a few weeks and starts to itch, slap it instead of scratching it. The scabs need to fall off on their own or you risk damaging the tattoo," he told me. I wasn't going to remember any of that.

"Got that, Notary?" I asked Laura, who nodded.

"I got it," Emma volunteered from the other side of the counter. When did she come in? That was a head scratcher.

I paid the guy for the tattoo and tipped him almost the same amount as the tattoo cost me. As we were walking out, Tattoo Guy advised I lay off the booze for the rest of the night, but what did he know? It was a bachelorette party and I was nowhere near getting married. Drinks were in order.

"We're going to Smart Bar," Emma told me once we were in the limo.

"Good! I can show Eric my tattoo," I grinned.

**o.O.o.O.o**

Smart Bar was located underneath a music venue in Wrigleyville called the Metro. The "club," if you could call it that, was dingy and smelled like beer and mothballs. Not an appealing combination for an iffy tummy. But I didn't spend much time thinking about that. Instead, my eyes were on the hunt for a tall Swede I could climb like a tree. I found him standing off to the side with a beer in his hand, looking rather bored.

"Eric!" I screamed and took off in his direction.

"Oh Lord," I heard Emma mutter behind me but she made no effort to stop me from closing the space between Eric and me.

"What are you doing here, Sookie? Are you following me?" Eric was flirting with me! I could see it in his eyes.

"Nah, I'm just thirsty," I took his beer and proceeded to chug it, which turned out to be a bad idea. First of all, I hate beer. Second of all, it didn't mix well with whatever else I'd had to drink and quickly evacuated my body.

I totally chucked all over Eric's shoes but he stepped back before I could do any further damage to him. He held me up when I wobbled and then put me in a booth before getting a bunch of napkins to clean himself up. When he came back, he had a bottle of water that he handed over to me. What I was hoping he had was mouthwash. I felt disgusting.

"What happened to your ankle?" Eric pointed while wiping off his shoes.

"Oh!" I said with excitement and when he sat down next to me I turned in the booth and put my foot up in his lap to peel off the bandage. "It's a tattoo."

Eric's eyes widened at the sight of the tattoo and he said, "Wow. That's…permanent."

"You hate it!" My eyes filled with tears.

"No, I don't," he insisted and pulled me into his lap. "Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry."

"I don't want you to hate it. I just miss you so much and-"

Annnnnd he was kissing me. My arms wrapped around his neck and before I could even think about all the reasons why it was a bad idea to be kissing him, I kissed him back. The kisses were deep and I could feel his tongue working its way to the back of my throat, like he was trying to swallow me. His arms wrapped around me, crushing me to him. My hips moved against his and I could feel the onset of an erection in his pants, which only made me grind a little more.

When the kiss broke so we could breathe, I moved to Eric's neck and kissed him there, making sure to hit the spot I knew would make him growl. When he did, I was sure it was what caused the sudden flooding feeling I had in my panties. I kept grinding against him, wishing we weren't in a crowded nightclub where we didn't have to keep our clothes on.

We'd never had sex in public before. Could I do that? I was seriously contemplating dragging him off to the bathroom to do just that when I felt his fingers inside my panties, touch me in that expert way of his. He knew exactly how to get me off in a matter of minutes and he didn't waste anytime. I moved back to his mouth and kept grinding against him while his fingers terrorized my clit in the most wonderful way.

"Fuck, I want you inside me so bad," I whispered in his ear, earning me another growl before he kissed me again.

I couldn't get enough of him. Seriously, would fucking in a bathroom be such a bad thing? It sounded like heaven to me. But then Eric twitched and the hand that wasn't in my panties grabbed my ass hard while his hips pumped up toward mine. I moaned loudly and bit his bottom lip.

"Fuck, Sookie," he grunted and then he came. At least I think he did. I know I did a few seconds later, and with his hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming.

We were still making out when Emma and Luke found us a short time later, but at least Eric's hand wasn't in my panties anymore. "Uh, guys, we hate to break this up but it's time to go," Luke said from behind us.

"Fuck off," Eric growled.

"Bar's closing," Emma chimed in.

I turned to face Emma and Luke and judging by the looks on their faces, I must have been quite a sight. I turned to face Eric one more time and said, "We can finish this when we get back to Michigan."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Eric's eyes were hooded with lust and I really, really didn't want to leave him.

"Come on, Sook," Emma reached for my hand.

"Look at my tattoo!" I held up my leg, nearly falling over thanks to the stupid skinny heels on my shoes.

Luke steadied me and said, "That's an interesting choice, Sookie."

"I would rather have a Swede in me," I looked over at Eric, who looked like he was going to pounce on me. "But I'll settle for one on me. For now."

"Annnnnd we're leaving before you two get arrested for indecent exposure. Say goodnight, Sookie," Emma put her arm around me.

"Goodnight, Sookie," I giggled, but then quickly pulled away to give Eric one last kiss.

God, he tasted good. Emma pulled me away from Eric and I wanted to hit her. Why did I like her again? Cockblocker.

**o.O.o.O.o**

When I woke up the next morning I felt like shit and there was a stinging pain on my right ankle. I rolled onto my side very carefully, trying to shield my eyes from the little bit of light that was filtering in through the big windows in the living room.

I sat up slowly and propped my foot up on the coffee table to look at my leg. On my right ankle there was a brand new tattoo of the Swedish flag. My mouth dropped open and I stifled the scream that was threatening to wake up the whole house.

Out of nowhere, Laura appeared with two steaming mugs in her hands. She handed one to me and pointed to my ankle before saying, "When you got that you said if you couldn't have a Swede _in_ you, you wanted one _on_ you."

_Oh. My. God._ "Fuck my life," I muttered covered my face with the hand that wasn't holding my salvation.

* * *

**Sooo...just we're clear, tattooing while drunk is a bad idea, as is making out with an ex. Bull & Bear, Howl at the Moon and Smart Bar are all real bars in Chicago. I haven't been to any of them haha. Also, it should be stated, that the "Adios Mofo" really is served in a bucket and is _meant_ to be shared with a few other people. Sookie here, well, she wasn't in the sharing mood. Both of the tattoos I've gotten were at Tattoo Tatu and they WILL NOT tattoo anyone when they're drunk. There are signs all over the place alerting people to that fact, so I'm taking creative license here. Anyway...I hope y'all enjoyed this little clusterfuck. Thanks for reading!**


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